Old Ties Renewed
by 77WiseGirl77
Summary: Christine and Raoul marry and have a child named Allegra, who earns a job at the same opera the Phantom tormented. Determined to uncover the truth, she discovers Erik's trapped spirit and is met with conflicting emotions she must resolve. Meanwhile, the people plotting to kill her for revenge put her in danger.
1. Chapter 1

Despite the overwhelming beauty of the old opera house, Allegra know she wasn't supposed to be there. The words of her mother, Christine de Chagny, started to turn the butterflies in her stomach into a wildfire.

She forbid her from stepping a foot in the opera because of the old rumors of death, and her father refused to even speak its name.

The only thing she was allowed to know was that her mother became famous here, then something tragic happened, and she decided to stop singing. Professionally, at least.

"Miss Allegra de Chagny," the director called.

"Focus," Allegra cautioned to herself, stepping out onto the redone stage. This orchestra was the only prominent one auditioning for a concertmistress for hundreds of miles. If she happened to win the role as the best violinist in the area, she could follow the path her mother started. Maybe she could even make her mother love music again.

Allegra tucked her grandfather's violin beneath her chin, sent a quick prayer to the angels, and then proceeded to pour her heart out.

She got the role. Allegra was still overcome with the avid joy that she was more than just a small town violinist. Maybe it was her last name, or maybe the prayer, but she made it.

The second violinist headed towards Allegra, her raving, red face contrasting with her spiraling blonde curls. Bethany Alger. "How dare you win the spotlight over me."

Stunned, Allegra couldn't say anything.

She continued on, saying, "You only won because everyone knows your mother's legacy. Same red hair, same green eyes. You're just a promotional advertisement to them."

"How dare you," Allegra's voice shook. She had the urge to spit an insult to her face, to get even with her hurtful words. Yet her mother had taught her to behave better since she was small. For all she knew, Bethany's mother could have fallen ill recently.

Instead, Allegra walked away. If she was going to understand why her parents despised the place, she was going to have to spend less time arguing and more time trying to uncover it herself.

She slipped away while the auditionees went home, and climbed up the balcony. The view was breath taking. It cost thousands of dollars to repair the place from eighteen years ago, but every penny shined. The pit above was replaced with practice rooms, as the house was mainly used for Allegra's new orchestra. Endless seats extended from the stage. Endless people.. But she could fantasize about that later. Old newspaper clipping ought to be in the basement with any old supplies left over.

She took a couple flights of stairs down, followed endless doors, and ended up getting lost with only a flashlight and her violin. "Great. I became concertmistress, and in the same day end up missing in a secret labyrinth."

After walking a bit further, she thought she could hear the sound of a small river nearby. Following the sound, it led her into a damp, dark clearing. A large body of water lapped up onto the stone floor. Setting down her stuff, she knelt beside it and looked at her distorted reflection in the water.

"I wonder if Bethany's right.. The director was awfully nice to me beforehand…"

Allegra took out her violin, tuned the strings, then played a small concerto. Towards the end her lips began to quiver, and she set her bow down. Everything was a mistake. Even being here was a mistake. If only her mother was here to offer advice… How could she even face her after running off?

Taking in a deep breath, Allegra started to sing a part of her mother's lullaby.

"Think of me, think of me waking

Silent and resigned

Imagine me, trying too hard

To put you from my mind."

She started to strengthen her voice, though it wasn't nearly as lovely as Christine's. It didn't even matter though, because she was Allegra, not Christine. She would leave behind a legacy larger than her parents'.

"Recall those days

Look back on all those times

Think of the things, we'll never do

There will never be a day, when I won't think of you."

Allegra stopped, feeling better and more empowered.

At least, until the silence was pierced by a startled cry from behind.

"Christine?!"

(Hi, thanks for reading this far. This story will be primarily based on the opera version of the book, but I will draw on details from the actual book as well. Sorry for the long intro. More dialogue is coming in the next chapter, I promise. Please comment and follow for updates, I'll try to post more content soon. :) The song belongs to its creator and the characters to the author. I own nothing.)


	2. Chapter 2

Allegra stood up quickly. "Who's there?"

When no one replied she waved her flashlight around, clutching her violin in the other hand. It didn't seem like anyone was in the cavern, but she could have sworn it sounded nearby.

"I know you're there," she called out. "Speak again."

After a moment, he responded. "You don't remember me? How dare you play dumb while I have stayed down here for years! I still wear the gold ring of our love."

"Look," Allegra whispered in fear. "I don't know you, but Christine is the name of my mother, not me."

"... And who is your father?"

"Raoul de Chagny."

"Ah.. I see.. Of course." His voice sounded so racked with grief that Allegra couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"My name is Allegra .. Can you tell me yours?"

"No! Just leave me alone!"

"Why?" Allegra cried out, confused.

"You represent nothing but pain."

"What? But I need to ask about-"

"LEAVE!" A force shoved Allegra backwards, who scrambled to her violin case in a panic. Grabbing it, she ran off in the direction she entered, the screams of anger and disparity grower softer as she ran.

After some time she found her way back to the stage. Everyone had left already, and the stage glistened in the moonlight. Allegra sat down, breathing hard from all the running.

As she put her violin away, she started to really process what had happened. She finally found a clue about her parents' past, and could have been killed by him.

She had to go back and learn what he knew. Something didn't seem right, and it frustrated her to the core. Sleuthing would have to wait though, if she didn't get back to her friend's house soon they would begin to worry about her.

* * *

He listened to the sound of her shoes clattering against the stone road. Staying just behind enough to not become noticeable, he followed her down the lightly lit street.

About ten minutes of following Allegra brought him to the house where she was staying. Interesting little cottage. She should have been more careful about walking around this late, especially when others are looking for her.

It wasn't time quite yet, but at least he knew where she was staying. That would be enough for now.

(Hi guys, thank you so much for reading, commenting, and following my story after only a day. I decided to feature the story in more modern times so it would be more fun to write without being constantly paranoid about the time period. Since I'm on a small break I'll try to write often; I'm actually really excited about my plans with this story.)


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you again for letting me stay here without telling my parents."

"You're very welcome, Allegra," Meg smiled. "And just call me Aunt Meg, since your mother and I grew up together."

Allegra tried to smile back, but inside she felt troubled. She placed her cup of coffee down on the table. "Aunt Meg.. Why do you seem so fine about all of this, and why can't you tell me anything?"

Meg placed her black hair to the side while she thought for a second or two about what she was supposed to say. "I can't tell you certain things; I'm sorry sweetie. As the manager of the old opera house I can assure you everything is okay. Your parents are happy, why are you so obsessed about it?"

"I'm not obsessed. Merely curious. My parents never hide anything from me. I want to know the dark secret she's hiding, I'm worried."

"Privacy much?"

"You don't understand." Allegra shook her head, tears threatening to form. "You haven't seen my mother's expression after I've asked her about it too long. It's unbearable."

"I know, I know. But I want you to stay safe, that's all."

Allegra sighed, growing impatient. Obviously Meg knew what had happened. For all Allegra knew, even Melody, Meg's daughter, knew as well. "You'd keep me safe by letting me know," Allegra retorted, standing up.

"God, you're just as rash as your father you know. Look." Allegra paused at the doorway as Meg looked back. "I asked the director to start an orchestra here for a reason. I knew you'd get the role as concertmistress."

Unsure of what to say, she left to go to the rehearsal for the week's grand opening concert.

The director made sure to stress everyone out, saying stuff like it would either make or break the orchestra's, no, the house's, reputation. If we didn't sound as brilliant as the performers who had come before us, no one would ever supposedly come again.

No pressure at all for the leader of the orchestra.

Allegra warmed up with her section, made sure everyone had their music, and tuned everyone until it sounded close enough to perfection.

The rehearsal went amazing, but she knew all too well that once the lights started shining, once the crowd was sitting down, all of that could go up in smoke if they weren't careful.

Bethany tried to speak to her again, but she decided to ignore her for now. If she didn't show any respect for her role, then she had the every right to talk to the director, but of course she wouldn't.

Allegra climbed up to the balcony once she could slip away. As she was about to walk down it, an older looking man came up on the other side. It was hard to tell his age, but he had a foreign looking air about him, with dark hair and eyes. "Excuse me," Allegra stepped out. "Who are you?"

"Hmph. I should be asking you," he replied. It was deeper than the voice in the cavern, definitely not a match.

"Allegra de Chagny, concertmistress."

"That gives you no right to be sticking your nose wherever you please. Off-limits," he said, emphasizing the last word.

"Yes, sir," she mumbled, going back to the stage with him. She pretended to gather her things in the adjacent room. After two minutes she tried again. Poking her head out, the stairway seemed clear. She took her shoes off before running up it, careful to be soundless. Once she got far enough she put her shoes back on. She retraced the path, or at least what she could remember, and wound up at the entrance of the cavern once more.

The sound of a piano filtered out of the room, yet she remembered no piano when she shone her light. It was stone, nothing more, nothing less. It had to be a ghost. At least she knew who to call, if only they existed.

Residual emotions, scenes, voices. It couldn't hurt her, it was trapped... Trapped.

Allegra walked into the room, chin up and unafraid. "It's okay, it's only me."

The sound that followed seemed like the ghost slammed his hands down on his piano so hard it made Allegra wince.

"You again?! Look at the floor, girl, closely." Allegra did as he said, touching the cool stone covered with dirt. "That isn't dirt, it's gunpowder. I can still blow up this place if I chose to."

Allegra smiled. "But you're a ghost, aren't you?" Silence answered. "I can help you, show yourself to me… Please, trust me."

She shined her flashlight again, but this time a man stood partially in the water, his back to her. Only the water wasn't giving off any ripples. Other than that, he seemed normal. A black coat covered him, matching his slicked back hair. When he turned around, Allegra took a few steps back.

His face was covered with half a white mask, but that wasn't what startled her. The other half of his face looked at her with utter, heartbreaking sadness.

It looked like the expression Allegra had talked to Meg about earlier.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you hurt?" Allegra asked.

He stared at Allegra for a couple seconds before twisting his face into hatred, answering with, "No! Go away and practice your violin or something. Better not waste your talent too."

Allegra thought about this tactfully. If she asked a stupid question, he would probably shove her out again, but if she asked an emotional question.. Well, she didn't quite know how he'd react. "Did you love my mother when you were alive?"

"... She was my angel of music, as I was hers."

Okay, Allegra was ninety-nine percent sure that was a yes. "You look so lonely.. What if I brought my mom here?"

"No, don't you dare do that," he almost growled at her, walking past her and near the wall. "She's happy now. She never was before. Who would I be to stop that?" He chuckled. "A monster?"

"Yes, but-"

"_Phantom!_" a voice called near the entrance.

He quickly pulled Allegra to a small nook she could hide in, told her not to come out or he threatened to kill her, and went to stand in the middle of the clearing.

"Hello, Phantom," Meg smiled, walking close to him. "Gosh, it's been forever since we've talked. I wonder if you remember scaring that one ballerina into leaving when she saw that man. Hah, I'm kinda glad that stopped, though it was kinda interesting to watch."

"What do you want, manager? You know I can't hurt anyone, it would use my energy."

"Technically, you could possess someone, or convince them to do your bidding. Your friend is still around, but I doubt you like him after he betrayed you... Anyway, what I'm really here for is to warn you. Christine's daughter is the new concertmistress in the orchestra. If you still harbour hostility towards Christine, you will leave her daughter alone. She is kind, but a little naive sometimes, so just don't bother talking to her at all. No scaring people either. Am I clear? I could arrange for someone to cleanse you from here if you start to cause trouble... Who knows where'd you go..."

He merely glared at her, like a child being forced to do the dishes.

"Good. This place means a lot to Allegra's future, and mine.. Simply your past." With that she left quickly. He followed after her, then came back about thirty seconds later.

"It's okay, come out."

Allegra stood up and walked closer to him. "So, should I call you Phantom?" she smirked at him.

"No. You might as well know… It's Erik."

"Erik.. Common, but cute. It sounds harmless."

Erik sighed. "I've done a lot of good things, and a lot of bad things in my life. You heard her. I've killed people, scared them. I even created a new form of the noose! I deserve to go to Hell if she had someone free me from this place."

"Hey, I admit that I'm not like my mother in some aspects.. But she did teach me how to see the good in people, and when they are hurting on the inside. I can see both in you. You don't scare me."

Erik scoffed at her. "You ran away the first time you met me.."

"I barely knew you, and you startled me!"

"And what about when you first saw me and my mask? You looked frightened then too."

"I was upset when I saw the pain in your eyes."

He turned away from Allegra, tears falling down freely. "Just.. come back later. And bring your violin next time, idiot," he commanded, trying to sound vicious once more.

Allegra said she would, smiling. At least she was starting to help his broken spirit.

As she was walking back she wondered how her mother had broken him so badly. This was the same woman that nursed birds until they could fly again, and refused to kill spiders.

Or maybe his dark side had almost killed her, and she ran away, afraid of him. A flash of hatred sparked inside Allegra at that thought, surprising even herself. She only just met Erik, but her mother must have been able to seen the kindness under the walls he kept around him for protection. How could she still not repair the divide between them even if she loved Allegra's father more?

Allegra had been keenly intent on discovering the past, but now it was starting to confuse her. She couldn't trust anyone now, and had no one to turn to for help. Loneliness bit at her heart, but she couldn't dwell on it. Erik needed her, and she had a concert to practice for.

(Hi! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I had to catch up on some homework. It's hard to find time to write when I have advanced classes, plus my band is going to a competition this Wednesday. Some of Allegra's stress about her concert stems from my own. I have to prove I'm serious about band if I want to become the leader of my section next year, and it means a lot to me. Also, a writing project for a magazine is starting to really wear me thin. But don't worry. I'm fiercely devoted to this story now. I'll try updating at least every two days or so, more if I procrastinate. :) )


	5. Chapter 5

During a break in the rehearsal, Xavier, the lead cellist, came over to Allegra.

"Hey, I kept looking over at you during the rehearsal. I think you need to tune your violin again," Xavier told her.

"Really? Usually I can tell while I'm playing."

"Well, it looks like you're pretty sharp if you ask me," Xavier grinned sheepishly.

It took a few seconds for Allegra to catch on, but then she smiled. "Using music pick up lines? Wow, how unique."

"Would you believe me if I said I spent two hours on that one?"

"No, not really."

"Good, it was really three."

Allega giggled. "Okay, you're pretty funny."

"What do you say to a date tonight? Say, after we finish rehearsal?"

Allegra usually visited Erik around six o'clock. He had been helping her practice in the past few days, and was actually a really good tutor. Well, that is if you ignored the constant badgering and complaining. The only time he actually complimented her playing was when she had a rest in the music. So what if she was a little late?

"Sure, I'd like that," Allegra smiled, looking down at her shoes.

The director ushered everyone back to their seats, and Allegra took her place. Xavier tried to sneak a look at her from around the director, but Allegra focused intently on arranging her folder just right. It was only a date, right? Nothing serious. Maybe she should have said she was busy… No, she'd rather not hurt his feelings now.

After rehearsal, Allegra and Xavier practiced with the lead violist, Emma. The director wanted to showcase a trio with the best players in the orchestra.

Things were great with another girl in the room to diffuse the awkwardness. After about twenty minutes she said that she had to go home to her apartment and left the two alone.

"So..., I suppose we should go grab some dinner or something," Allegra said, putting her violin away.

"Yeah… Hey, what do you think about dark rosin?"

"Well, I mean I prefer light rosin myself, but-" as Allegra turned around Xavier blew a cloud of dust from his rosin box in her face. Coughing, she stuttered, "Wh-what the heck was that for?" Her vision turned blurry, and she became light-headed fast. "Xavier?"

"Sorry doll," was all he said, shoving her to the ground while she lost consciousness. He pulled a chair over to the corner of the practice room and tore out a portion of the ceiling, then unscrewed a pipe of gas.

Smirking at how easy it all was, he tied the chair to the outside of the door in the small chance Allegra woke up. He doubted that though, the drug was powerful. Now all he had to do was testify that she had dumped him and he went home. Of course he would come early tomorrow to remove the chair. Suicide, they'd most likely rule it. No one would be able to say anything otherwise.

* * *

Erik had watched from his box seat. How stupid he was, to think that he would ever receive another chance at love.

There was no way that Allegra would ever feel the same way, now that _Xavier_ would steal her heart instead. Maybe he should die, again. Feeling the pain of Hell would be better than not feeling anything at all.

When Allegra didn't show up for her lesson, he finally understood.

He took out some of his anger and grief by destroying his phantom piano. Music could never repair his heart after this, so it was useless. Piece by piece he set it on fire, along with the music he had been about to show Allegra. It was all in his head anyway. All he had to do was think about a memory involving a piano and he could make a new one appear anyway.

After he was ready to give up, he made his way up to the stage. He technically was able to move around the opera house, but it hurt him too much to do so too often. It was the same places, just not the same people. It wasn't, and never would be, the same again.

As he was walking towards Meg's office, he noticed a chair propped against one of the practice rooms. He walked over and looked inside it.

Allegra seemed peacefully asleep inside. The insolent girl, sleeping when she should be practicing! At least Xavier was nowhere to be found, but it did seem strange for her to lock herself inside a room.

Maybe she had become afraid of him too, just like Christine… As he was about to leave he had the urge to at least see her one last time, as a final goodbye.

He used some of his energy to untie the chair and push it away from the door. Stepping inside, he gently tried to wake her up. "Allegra," he whispered.

She wasn't waking up. "Allegra!" he yelled, shaking her. Something was wrong. He looked around the room and noticed the torn ceiling and open pipe. He didn't have to breathe because he was already dead, so he hadn't noticed it beforehand, but when he sniffed the air the smell of natural gas was overwhelming.

"Oh, God, Allegra!" He pulled her out of the room, barely landing outside of it with her lying in his arms. He knew he probably shouldn't use so much of his energy to simply hold her, but it felt right.

With Christine, it felt like he was forcing her to love him. If it was her in his arms, she would run away once she woke up. With Allegra, he was sure that she would just smile in that stupid, naive way. It felt.. natural.

"Please wake up, please," he pleaded, his tears passing through her face.

"Erik! What did you do to her?!"

No. It couldn't be.

But he knew that voice anywhere.

Erik slowly turned to face Christine, and Raoul beside her.

* * *

(Thank you guys for the positive reviews, they mean a lot to me. It isn't that hard for me to write long chapters, it's just finding the time to actually write long chapters. Shorter chapters are more manageable and less stress for me. I'll update in a few days. I hope you like the story so far and keep reading. Wish me good luck at my competition! )


	6. Chapter 6

Erik stared at her for a few seconds, taking everything in. She looked twice Allegra's age, but wore her age like a someone wears a beautiful scarf. The image of her hit him hard mentally every time he blinked, and he could hardly even think straight.

If Raoul hadn't ran over to Allegra and took her from him, Erik and Christine could have stayed there forever. Raoul checked Allegra's pulse and looked at his wife with his face covered in fear.

"I'm going to get some help," he said, dashing out of the opera house.

Christine crossed her arms, livid with anger. "Look, set aside what happened in the past for a second. What did you do, phantom?"

"I did nothing," he growled. "I found her like this."

She scoffed. "Yes, you happened to find her lying in your arms. I knew you would fall in love with her if she met you only because she looks like a younger version of me. How dare you!"

"_I didn't try to!_" he cried out in anguish, overcome with emotion. He looked down at Allegra. "... I didn't try to."

The sound of heels rushing towards them filled the silence that followed. Meg gasped when she saw Allegra lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Oh my, what happened?!"

Erik explained the chair and open pipe to the two in a monotonous tone, and then he turned himself invisible so he wouldn't have to talk to anyone any longer.

Despite saving Allegra, he still felt awful. If only he had checked up on her earlier instead of wallowing in his sadness.

As the ambulance's sirens came closer Erik sat in the corner of the room, watching everything. The men and women rushed in, placed Allegra on a gurney, then rolled her out of the room. Christine left with them. He was forced to stay behind, chained to the place, and not to the lady he loved.

* * *

Allegra woke up several times. For the first few times she could catch a word or two, and then pass out again. The last time she woke up the memories flooded back to her, and she gasped in a surplus of air, almost hyperventilating.

"Calm down, sweetheart. It's okay, I'm here."

Allegra slowly sat up in her bed and looked at her mother. "Get away from me!" she said, pushing herself away from Christine. She tried to reach out and touch Allegra's forehead, but she pulled back. "Don't touch me."

"Allegra, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong with me?" Allegra mockingly laughed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Never bothering to tell me about Erik, or your past. Luckily he filled in the blanks. Like how you shattered his heart and he killed himself. I'm an adult now, mom, not a child. You could have told me everything."

Christine looked away from Allegra. "Well did also tell you about tying up your father in a torture chamber, or almost forcing me to marry him?"

"Yes, but once he explained everything it made sense. You never stuck around long enough to know how much he cared about you, or how hurt he was on the inside."

"You say that almost like you care about him," Christine commented.

Allegra paused in thought. "I do.. Not because I pity his loneliness, but because underneath his persona he is a nice person."

"You do understand that he's a spirit, right?"

"I know.. I could find a way to bring him back, or.."

Christine watched her daughter carefully. "Or die trying?" she asked.

"Maybe, I don't know. Don't get worried about me all of a sudden. How did you even know I was here? Did Meg tell you?"

"No, I saw your name in an advertisement. I was fine with you traveling off, at least anywhere _but _the opera house."

"Well, I-. Wait, I forgot! Did you arrest Xavier yet?"

Christine nodded her head. "Luckily Meg installed security cameras. He happened to be the last one to leave the stage and is currently in the jail house right now."

"Does Erik show up on any footage?"

"No. Strange, but no."

Allegra stood up a little wobbly, then steadied herself. "I have to go back."

"Allegra," Christine stood up. "Don't. You'll only hurt yourself, learn from my mistakes."

"You're right," Allegra smiled at her from the door. "I should definitely go."

Allegra left the hospital before the doctor came back. The early rays of the sun were just starting to spark over the horizon, so the street was still relatively dark. Not many people were around, besides some shady characters. On edge, Allegra kept an eye around herself at all times, especially after she was just attacked.

After about ten minutes of walking she noticed someone following her. She turned a couple times but he was still trailing behind. She didn't know the city that well yet, but she recognized the street with the opera house. It was about half a mile down. If she could sprint far enough..

Without looking back she made a run for it. Not quite the athletic type of person, she wasn't that fast. She looked back while she was running and sure enough he was sprinting after her, only a lot faster.

"Oh God, oh God," she whispered, tears starting to form because of the fear building up inside. Why was she being hunted like a prized animal? What did they want with her? It didn't make any sense.

She burst inside the opera house. "Erik, Meg, help!" she screamed. The man caught up to her and grabbed hold of her from behind. She tried to yell again, but he put her in a tight choke hold.

Unable to think properly, she froze.

Suddenly, he let go of her with a gurgling cry. Allegra gasped for air and turned around. The man's face was covered with a black mask, and he was clawing at his throat.

Realizing who it was, she shouted, "Erik! Stop, you'll kill him!"

"He tried to kill you!" he responded, still invisible to her eyes.

"That doesn't make it right!" She watched the man fall to the ground, starting to panic. ".. Please, stop.. You're scaring me."

Immediately the man started coughing and breathing deeply. Knowing his plan was ruined, he stumbled out of the opera house.

Erik materialized in front of Allegra, his face a combination of fear and anger. "What just happened is who I am. I will never change. I kill, I murder, and I lie for those I care about. Deep down I'm a freak, not a normal person. If you can't handle that then feel free to walk out that door and forget about me."

The tears Allegra were holding back spilled over, cascading down her face like raindrops. She didn't know what to say, or think. So she ran away.

* * *

(Well, this is the longest chapter I've written, pretty awesome. The competition went amazing! We got the highest score a band could receive. The rankings won't come back until a week or so, but I know we did the best we ever performed this year. Now if only I could finish some other responsibilities I could focus solely on my hobbies, like fanfictions. I wish I had done one ages ago, it's really fun. 'Till next time. :) )


	7. Chapter 7

After Allegra left, Erik went to talk to Meg.

She was in her office, of course, dealing with an extensive amount of paperwork. "Manager," he said, his tone firm and confident despite the emotions he felt after almost killing someone. "Allegra was attacked in the entryway."

"What?" Meg exclaimed, standing up. "Is she okay?"

"Yes… I almost killed the man to make sure of that."

Meg stared at him in shock. "I can lose my reputation of this place if someone is killed here. I thought you understood our deal."

"I do," he nodded, looking away. "This was an exception."

"Well.. You really do care about her if you were willing to risk your eternal life I suppose."

"Please don't do anything," he told Meg. He couldn't remember the last time he said please to anyone. Maybe Allegra's good nature was starting to rub off on him. "She would be devastated if I died again."

"It's okay," Meg smiled. "You can trust me to keep a secret secret."

* * *

Allegra sat in her room at Meg's place, thinking things over. To help her remain calm, she hugged her violin close to her, the only thing that seemed to remain constant in her life.

"Oh, what should I do?" she murmured to herself, bemused beyond belief. "I can't go anywhere without being attacked, and there's still the problem of Erik being a phantom… Well, it wouldn't be so bad if I died, because at least I would have the chance of becoming a ghost too." The idea of spending an eternity with Erik didn't sound as appealing after what had happened.

"Maybe they're right. Maybe I am stupid and naive. How can I care about someone this much when I hardly know him?" Allegra knew the answer to that. She felt it deep in her heart that their souls just clicked into place like puzzle pieces.

As if to reassure herself, she thought about teaching Erik how to open up to people and control his emotions. Not to change him, but to show him what goodness lies in the world when he didn't hate it so much.

"I have to go back. Oh, but can I after running away? I'm so stupid!" Allegra sat on her bed for a while, tossing the idea of returning back and forth in her mind. "Don't be a coward, Allegra. You can do this."

She placed her violin back in its case, leaving it in the corner of her room. She put on a grey pea coat jacket and scarf, since winter was starting to lower the temperature drastically.

On her way out she stopped by the kitchen, grabbing a sharp knife with a plastic cover. Allegra was tired of feeling defenseless. At least she could fight back if need be.

She walked briskly to the opera house, one hand on the knife in her pocket at all times.

Luckily, she wasn't followed. Everything seemed okay, but she still knew the conversation with Erik that she was walking into. It wasn't going to be pleasant.

Taking a shortcut, she bypassed the stage by taking a different flight of stairs to the balcony.

About to cut across it and find her way to Erik's cavern, she heard mystical chanting from below.

Bending over the railing, she saw a person cloaked with robes performing what looked like an exorcism of the opera house. Horrified, she noticed the woman standing next to him.

Meg.

"Hey!" Allegra shouted. "Stop! What are you doing?"

Meg told the priest to stop, and she glared up at Allegra. "What I should have done ages ago."

"He didn't kill him, I promise. He didn't break your deal!"

"This isn't about the deal!" she responded, obviously upset. "This is about getting even. Christine never realized it, but I always loved Erik. My mother told me stories about him, and I was fearless in my devotion. I was the first one to discover his cavern for a reason; I had followed him before. At first I wanted to get back at Christine, by killing you."

"What?! You mean, Xavier and that man with the mask?"

"Assassins, trained to kill, but obviously not well enough." Meg sighed. "But now I'm going to get even with you. The love of my life was stolen away from me. Now I'm going to send him far away, where you will never be able to see him again."

"Don't do this," Allegra warned. "I'll tell everyone what happened."

"No one would believe you, or care."

"What about him?" she pointed to the man.

Meg scoffed. "Him? A couple stacks of money kept him pretty complaisant. Finish the ceremony."

The man continued, walking around the stage and talking in Latin. Erik fell on the balcony next to Allegra, his image translucent and unstable.

"Erik!" Allegra rushed to him, her hand passing through his face.

"No.. time..," he whispered, wincing as if in immense pain. "I'm.. so.. sorry.."

"Don't be," Allegra's smile faltered, tears forming. "Everything will be okay, you'll be okay."

Erik looked up at her with a look of pure fear on his face. Fear of where he might wake up. The look of fear you can only have moments before you die.

Using the last of his energy, he touched Allegra's face and said, "Thank you," before simply vanishing into thin air, leaving behind a gold ring.

Allegra froze in place, staring at the spot Erik was lying only a couple seconds before. It all happened so fast, too soon. If only she had had more time to say goodbye.

Breaking down, she started to cry into her hands, feeling a sadness that she had never experienced before in her life.

* * *

(Hiya. Just in case, I'm making sure you guys know that this isn't the end. I'm not that sadistic. There's still a lot more in store for this story.)


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone noticed the change in Allegra. Her cheerful demeanor had wilted slightly, and she no longer asked if everyone was doing okay. The director only noticed that her playing was better, now that she was spending countless hours practicing after rehearsal.

The new lead cellist, Nya, fit in amazingly. She had just graduated from a prestigious music school, and the other members of the orchestra talked about her like a superstar when she wasn't around.

During the trio rehearsals they became great friends.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Nya asked while they were eating lunch together.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," Allegra fake-smiled at her.

"Come on. I'm not stupid."

Allegra thought about the last few days for a moment. Meg was still watching her suffering from afar. Allegra's parents were gone, back to their home. She hadn't bothered to tell them what had happened with Meg, only that Erik was gone, and she would be safe.

"It's nothing, really... Well, there was this guy.."

"Ohh, I understand. Hey, you can vent about it to me. I can't really offer any advice though. Never really dated anyone."

"What? But you're so pretty!" It was true. Nya coffee color skin was flawless, and her black hair spiraled down in perfect curls.

"Meh. Music nerds can be real snobby sometimes. This one guy actually took his viola out on a date. Said they were 'bonding.'"

Allegra laughed. "Wow. Now I see why.. Well, I met this one guy, and although I hardly knew him, I let myself fall in love with him. Now he's gone, and I feel so sad and stupid at the same time."

Nya stared at her macaroon for a couple seconds. "Well, if you really loved him, then you shouldn't feel bad. Some people don't get to feel that feeling for even a minute. You should cherish it, you know?"

Allegra stared at her coffee for a couple seconds, unsure of herself. Then she smiled at Nya. "You're right." She felt better about her situation. "Thanks."

"No problem. Hey, only one more day 'till the concert! It's going to be so much fun. I'm surprised the director even let us have the rest of the day off."

"What are you going to do with your time?" Allegra asked.

"Family stuff. My sister misses me a lot."

"Nice. I better be off then."

"What are you going to do?"

"Family stuff, only my grandfather instead."

Nya smiled. "I hope you have fun. And if you ever need a friend, just call me."

Allegra nodded, and they parted ways.

She got in a taxi and told him where her grandfather was at.

Staring out the window, it gave her time to think. Which isn't always the best in a moment of sadness. The last week or so had more drama in it then her entire four years in high school. During all the action and drama she had felt like she had another purpose in life other than whacking away at a wooden instrument. Now that the action and drama was gone, Erik gone, everything felt numb in comparison.

Take the trees that were passing by. Allegra noted how they were technically trees, as they had been her whole life, but instead of magnificent evergreens, they looked like scraggly sticks passing by.

That's why she was going to see her grandfather. Maybe he could help her.

Allegra told the man she would be only ten minutes, then stepped out of the car.

A short trip uphill took her to his gravestone, simple and grey. She knelt beside it, wondering what to say.

"I know I haven't visited in a long time. Using your violin makes me feel close to you though, although I never knew you when you were alive. It's just.. someone I really cared about died. I hope he's in Heaven, so if he is then I hope you can look after him."

"I guess I just felt like I would feel better if I came here," she continued. "To know someone's looking after me. I wouldn't feel so alone. Thank you."

Allegra stood up, brushed the dirt off her jeans, and made her way back down. Her vision was slightly clouded by tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't notice the rock until her foot caught hold of it and she started to stumble forward, head first.

Something, or rather someone, steadied her.

Allegra took a few steps back, stunned.

"Erik?! Grandpa?!"

The ghost cursed, then muttered, "Stupid reflexes."

"Erik," Allegra whispered, smiling. "Can you show yourself?"

"Well there's no point hiding now, is there?" He materialized himself, standing five feet away from Allegra.

"How? What?"

Erik sighed. "Meg thought she would be smart, sending me to Hell. Well, what the voodoo guy really did was release me from the opera house. He broke my spiritual chains essentially."

"So now you can go anywhere?" He nodded. "... Have you been following me?"

"Uh.. Possibly.." Erik looked away, running his fingers through his hair. "Don't worry, I'm not a creep. I even slept outside."

"Ghosts can sleep?"

"Well, I don't have an endless supply of energy. It takes a lot of work protecting you."

Allegra was about to say something, then stopped, just looking at him with a big smile on her face.

"Stop looking at me like that. You look too happy." Erik couldn't help but smirk though.

She closed the distance between them and hugged him tight, completely overjoyed to see him again.

Allegra then stepped back and wiped away the few tears that had escaped. "Come on, let's go back to Paris and figure this out. Oh, and make yourself invisible again. I don't want the taxi driver to have a heart attack."

"Wouldn't want that," Erik muttered, walking beside her, invisible again. Although she couldn't see him, he smiled for the first time in a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Things weren't that bad. Despite the stress of having a concert that night, Allegra was happy to have her best friend back.

"Idiot, why aren't you eating? Do you want to faint?" Erik asked her around the time of lunch while they were walking.

Allegra sighed. "No, I can't eat. I'm nervous."

"About what? You have nothing to worry about."

"I know, I know.. Wait. Did you actually give me a compliment?" Allegra smiled.

Erik scoffed. "No, I merely meant to bolster your self-confidence with lies."

"You're lying.. Why can't you compliment people?"

"... No one ever complimented me. Those that did wanted to kill me later."

Allegra looked at him, her eyes reflecting his sadness. "Hey, that's in the past now, right? Look. I think you're amazing at the piano and handsome if you ask me. I can't kill you, so now you can compliment people!"

"You only see half of my face. The other half is hideous."

"Oh come on. That's your self-esteem talking. I'm sure you look fine. Can I see?"

"No!" he shouted, backing away from her. "Please don't force me to take off my mask."

Allegra nodded, looking at the fear in Erik's face and knowing that his mask was probably his security blanket. "When you're ready you can. Until then I'll try to prove that I'd still accept you."

Erik paused, nodding, before striding back to Allegra and continuing their walk.

"Such a beautiful day," she murmured, looking at the bright sky. A good omen. Erik didn't say anything in return, staring at the sky as well. "You'll watch me perform, right?"

"I don't know.. I mean, I've heard you practice for hours, I've practically memorized your part, plus it's so much energy, and-" Erik paused when Allegra stopped, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "Yes, idiot, I'm coming."

"Good," she smiled, continuing along the path. "Now, let's go home. I have to practice."

Erik followed her, shaking his head. She really gave him a headache sometimes, even in the afterlife.

* * *

One of the most glorious sounds is an orchestra warming up. You can pick out the violinist working on a hard phrase, or the cellist playing long tones, but overall the chaos turns into beauty. It has been the inspiration of many composers.

Allegra listened to this for a minute or so before the director told her to start. As she walked onto the stage the chaos hushed. Nodding at the oboist, she tuned with him first. Then she tuned the rest of the orchestra.

After that was done, the orchestra stood up to welcome the director. When he was ready on the podium, they sat down. Allegra took in the lights, ignoring the crowd for now.

A wall stood between her and them. She wouldn't break it until she started playing.

The first song was lovely. The applause from the audience made it clear that they didn't hear Allegra's slightly late entrance on measure 28, or the cello's wolf tone on measure 92. Even Bethany, who complained about every mistake, seemed pleased.

The stage managers set up three chairs, and Allegra, Nya, and the violist got ready for the trio. Allegra searched the crowd calmly for Erik after she sat down. She spotted him in one of the box seats, her heart missing a beat or two once her eyes flickered over him. He gave her a short nod, giving her confidence in only such a small gesture.

Allegra looked at her partners, tucked her violin under her chin, and nodded to the first measure with them. Her fingers knew where to go already, so she could focus on her tone and listen to the rest of the group.

So far so good. They sounded flawless. Steady as a heartbeat, but with all the emotion the song called for. Nya smiled at Allega towards the end, and she really felt like she was having fun.

The audience loved it, and gave the same roar of clapping as the first one received.

Two more songs passed, then the intermission started. Allegra retreated to a practice room to catch her breath.

Nya walked in, smiling ear to ear. "Well! What did I say! Brilliant! I mean besides the wolf tone in the first piece and a couple other imperfections."

Allegra shrugged, like it didn't matter, smiling.

"You look a lot happier, hm? Would a guy have anything to do with that smile?"

"What? .. Well, maybe.."

"Wow you move on quickly!" Allegra didn't bother to correct her over the mistake. "Is he here, watching?" She nodded. "Can I meet him?"

"Uh, not really.. He's really shy and nervous. Maybe later?" Allegra replied.

"Okay, fine.. Your solo is up next. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, but I'm still nervous. This concert is the start of my career."

"It's mine too you know."

That made Allegra happy, knowing someone was in the same boat as she was, just trying to row along against the current.

They went back to the stage, and Allegra stood to the left of the director. He asked if she was ready, then began the orchestra.

While waiting for her entrance, her hands quivered. As she got ready for her first note, however, it went away. _Pour your heart out, Allegra_, she told herself.

It started out with power and grace, her arms gliding across the strings like she was made to play the violin. Everything was perfect.

The passage took extreme concentration though, even with it memorized.

She didn't notice anything was wrong until she heard the several bullets ring in the air.


	10. Chapter 10

A solid _Thump_ hit Allera hard, sending her backwards a few steps. A woman shrieked from the audience, starting the crowd's frenzy to the exits.

Allegra was frozen for a moment, her eyes widening in shock, before she looked down at the holes in her left shoulder and chest.

Everything worked in slow motion.

She thought to herself, "Oh.., this is what it feels like to have been shot," then fell backwards, protecting her grandfather's violin as she went down.

Nya rushed to her side first, screaming, "Doctor! Is anyone a doctor!? Get one!" Cursing repeatedly, she took out the cloth she used to wipe the rosin off her cello and put it on the worst injury. "Stay with me, Allegra. I'm not going to lose a friend this fast."

Allegra stared at her friend, her face as passive as a doll's. Black spots dotted her vision, and she wondered if this was what it felt like to die.

"Erik," Allegra whispered, feeling herself fade away rapidly.

Erik appeared about ten feet away and rushed to Allegra's side. In the heat of the moment, Nya couldn't tell that he was a ghost. "I'm here. God, I'm here." He too, cursed at the sight of her injuries.

Allegra tried to speak, but couldn't. The pain was shutting down her brain. _I love you, Erik_, she thought, _but you'll never know._

Thankfully, Erik said it for her. "Please don't die, please, no.. I love you.. I love you, I love you. And I don't even know if you feel the same, but I need you, idiot." He attempted to crack a smile, for her, but ended up sobbing, holding her hand as Allegra's consciousness slipped away.

Erik watched the people from the hospital wheel her off, shouting medical terms and putting tubes down her throat.

It was useless.

They had come too late.

Surely, she was gone.

He had no one to keep his anger in check, now that she was gone. No one to save him from himself.

"Who the hell are you?" Nya asked. "Are you the guy Allegra was talking about?"

"Shut up," he almost hissed, his eyes glowing a dark red.

Nya back away to the edge of the stage. "Woah dude. Chill. I'm just as upset as you, but-"

"_I said shut up!" _He waved his arm at Nya, using an unseeable force to knock her off the stage. Luckily, it was only five feet up, and she wasn't that hurt. She scrambled up and ran off, even leaving her cello, the most prized possession in her life, behind.

He yelled in rage, storming off the stage and into Meg's office.

She was sitting in her chair, talking to a nurse at the hospital on the phone. Erik reached out and slammed the phone down, splintering it into a thousand or so pieces.

"Hey!" Meg saw his eyes and her face paled in fear. "Oh my.."

"You killed her! You killed her you stupid manager! You even tried to kill me!"

"Wait wait!" Meg held up her hands in defense. "That wasn't one of my men. Until now, I thought you were burning in a fiery pit, Allegra's heart burning there as well." Erik paused, letting her speak more.

"I saw it from the box seat," she continued. "It was a lady in her early twenties. She was sitting in the last row on the floor. The man in front of her reported to a police officer that she said, and I quote, 'She sounds like a dying frog. I better quiet that croak.'"

"Her rival," he sighed, the red in his eyes fading.

"Bethany? She was next to Allegra the whole time."

"No, fool. Christine's rival, Carlotta Giudicelli."

"Ah, I remember her. Man, she was so arrogant and proud. Such an annoying prima donna. Christine made her sound terrible in comparison, but it couldn't have been her."

"It was probably her daughter." He slammed his fist on Meg's desk. "Revenge. Cold blood killed her."

"Oh she's not dead yet," Meg replied, crossing her arms.

"... What?"

"I was speaking to a nurse about how bad it was before you so rudely interrupted me."

Erik froze, looking down at the phone shards. He dashed out of the office, Meg calling after him.

He ignored her. The history between them didn't matter anymore.

Only Allegra mattered.

(Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in a while, and it's kinda short. Spring Break is next week for me and my teachers have been piling work on me. My chem teacher has given us three long tests in a row.. But at least it gave me time to think about this story, I have some new ideas that I hope you like. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!)


	11. Chapter 11

Sometimes, there are worse things than a loved one dying..

Sometimes, it feels like they are behind a glass wall, jail bars, etc. They can see you, you can see them, but a barrier keeps the two of you apart.

Sometimes, you have the urge to break that glass. But as you reach out, you stop. Doubts cloud your head. Maybe they are happy. Maybe they would hate you for trying to break it.

It hurts. Worse than death, because at least when someone is dead you can never talk to them until you die yourself.

Every tentative look claws at your heart until you can't breathe. You have the urge to weep and give up, but you can't because then they would see the damage.

So you hold it inside. Stand up straight and act content. Maybe they won't see it.

Erik stared at Allegra through the glass of the hospital door, thinking about the wall he kept between them. Thinking about Christine, and when they had stared at each other through his wall.

That kind of barrier wasn't that bad, since he loved Allegra, but the barrier he was keeping between Allegra and himself was starting to quiver. He could feel it since he professed his love out loud.

She was lying in her hospital bed as he thought about what to do, sleeping.

Did she remember when he had said he loved her?

Oh, it didn't matter what she remembered. The emotion burned inside him like conflagration in the darkness of his heart.

It was pretty obvious, but then again Allegra looked like a lost puppy at times.

A cute, loveable-. Gah, what was he doing? The last time he fell in love it ended his life. Now what would happen?

The girl had a bad habit of ending up in the hospital, he admitted. And someone had to solve this mystery before she really did die.

He paced back and forth, hitting the opposite wall a couple times to take out some anger and confusion. In a weird way, the anger helped him think things through.

The past shouldn't matter as much as he has let it. Unlike movies where they constantly flashback to previous moments, the future is a blank canvas.

If he wanted to be with Allegra, then Christine and Meg and Raoul and everyone else shouldn't matter so much.

A few nurses rushed into Allegra's room, and he peered inside, expecting the worse.

After they cleared away he watched Allegra sit up, her green eyes blinking rapidly and her eyebrows knit in confusion.

He was invisible, so for now it was okay to show the mix of love and pain on his face.

He knew this was the fork in the road.

He could either continue his adventure with Allegra, or he could run away to Italy. Run away from what his heart was telling him was right, and to his brain what was wrong.

Erik was told that he was a monster so many times it was cemented into his brain. That he would never find someone that would love him seemed like a truth for so long..

Despite the pain that would occur every time he looked at Allegra from now on, it was better than not feeling anything at all. Living life as an emotionless, wandering ghost didn't seem as great as loving Allegra.

And so he chose his heart after all.

* * *

(Again, super sorry for the short chapter. It's like the transitional phase right now, so you can experience what the character is feeling before the real action starts. My heart is in this chapter though, so don't hate it too much. It's a good outlet sometimes when times are really tough.. Anyways! I promise to make the next chapter twice as long to make it up to you guys. I'm planning on giving myself a relaxing vacation for the next few days so I can write. I've had too many stress-induced headaches. As always, thanks for reading! You guys mean a lot to me, because a big dream in my life is for my words to be read. :) 'Till the next chapter.)


	12. Chapter 12

"Of course she didn't die.. She must be a cat to have survived this long."

The woman clicked her nails against the desk, losing patience. "You had one job, Elizabeth, and what do you do? Miss her heart."

"Mother, I'm sorry, I tried, I really did. It was far away, and-"

"Excuses!" she exclaimed, slamming her hand down on the desk. "No, I get it. You don't feel bad for me. You don't think she deserves to die."

Elizabeth remained silent.

"Let me remind you that her mother turned my gorgeous singing into frog croaks. Her mother ruined me. We should be living in a palace, but instead we live mediocrely. Her mother is the reason why your father left us! Justice demands to be served."

The daughter sighed. "Then why don't we just kill the mother then?"

"I don't want to kill her.. I want to crush her."

"Mother," another girl entering the room said. "What about me? You know I am close to her."

"Not yet. I'm saving you to learn more about her."

The second daughter bowed her head. "Yes, Mother.."

Carlotta sighed. "Now, leave me alone! I have a headache the size of two daughters."

* * *

"Come on, put the hat on!" Allegra pouted.

"Hell no! I'll look ridiculous!" Erik pushed the detective hat away.

"We can't go snooping around if you don't wear it! It ruins the adventure of it all. Give me a good reason."

Erik thought about it for a second. "... It.. clashes with the color of my mask…"

Allegra paused, wondering if he was serious or not, until she saw the smirk he was hiding. She laughed, carefully putting the hat on herself with her good arm.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Er.." He looked at her. "Stupid."

"Thanks, I knew it looked good. Not ridiculous."

She turned around and looked at herself in the mirror to stall time.

Allegra hadn't told him what she knew. It never seemed like the right time, like they were both holding their breath. As she reached up to touch her hair, a sharp pain traveled down her injured arm.

"Ouch!" she yelped, putting the arm down instantly.

Erik rushed over to Allegra instinctively, checking her arm. "Are you okay? Does it still hurt?"

Allegra shrugged her shoulder, wincing. "I'm fine. It only hurts a little."

"Idiot, you know the doctor told you it would take a week or so to heal! Be careful or it'll take longer."

"I know!" she snapped, glaring at him. She broke their gaze after a few seconds, looking down. "I know.. I'm not a little girl.."

She walked over to her violin case, brushing her fingers across the top of it. She sighed, looking down at it. "I wish I could play soon.. I miss the sound."

Erik sighed and walked over, taking the case away from her and opening it up.

"Erik? What are you doing?!"

He didn't say anything, placing her violin under his chin and beginning to play.

Allegra watched him, stunned. Although his bow arm needed to be smoother, and his left hand could be more confident, the lullaby Erik played for her was breathtaking.

The minor chords, sounding like pure grief, appeared here and there, but the joyous melody overpowered that.

He stopped. "... I played that song for your parents while they were falling in love.. They never knew."

Allegra didn't know what to say in return. It was the first part of his past that he openly shared with her.

"Well, happy? Good, let's go then."

She followed him for a bit through Paris before realizing where he was headed. "Oh no! We can't go there now, I'll be humiliated!"

"I need Meg's records, stop complaining," he mumbled.

"Bethany is taking my place while I recover. She's probably gloating right now about how she deserved the spot all along."

"Well I can't leave you outside like a dog!"

"Why not?" Allegra questioned, stopping.

"You can never defend yourself. Look at you! It's like raising your hands and saying 'Mug me.'"

She reached in her trench coat's pocket and pulled out a black pistol. "Yes, I can."

Erik glanced back and forth between Allegra's determined face and the pistol in her hand. They both seemed odd. "Fine," he said. "Scream if you need help."

"Will do," she smiled, putting the gun back. "But I think you'll hear the gun first."

Erik rubbed his forehead. "I'll be back soon."

Allegra watched him go inside the opera house, a grin on her face. Another argument won.

* * *

Erik rustled through the cabinets, annoyed by how long it was taking.

"Back in my office again?"

"Yes, Meg. I'm looking for any clipping about Carlotta."

Meg went over to her desk and took out a binder. "I've kept them in here."

"Why didn't you give them to me beforehand?!"

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. Some phantoms have a tendency to run away while I call at them!"

Erik glared at her. "Give it to me."

"Wait," Meg said, holding it in her hands. "First I want to know something. Why are you so bitter towards me? To be fair I've known you for a long time."

"That's the point. You knew me when I was alive. You knew me when I loved Christine. I'd rather not have that past redug."

"Look. I'm sorry. We're in the same situation if you think about it."

"At least I don't try to kill people, or send them to an eternal death."

Meg sighed, placing the binder on her lap and rubbing her forehead with her hands. "I'll admit I went crazy for a bit, okay? The past hurt me too. You never noticed me, you know? You thought Christine shared that sense of loneliness that you had. That's why you fell in love with her to begin with, right? An orphan. Well I understood that pain more than anyone, including her. I wanted to comfort you and let you know that you weren't alone. But instead I was cast off as another nobody."

Erik stared at Meg, partially annoyed by the waste of time and partially actually caring. "Clean slate?" he asked her, reaching his hand out.

"Deal," Meg smiled, shaking his hand. She gave him the binder with Carlotta's features in the news.

As Erik began to walk out Meg said, "Wait.. You know I'll always care about you, right?"

Erik didn't look back, but he did stop.

"Oh, and I do care about Allegra," she continued, "even if I did want to kill her. If you break her heart I'll make you wish you were dead."

He smirked. He supposed Allegra understood that too if she allowed herself to sleep under the same roof as Meg after what had happened. "Deal."

* * *

(Woo, over ten thousand words! Thanks guys. Your views give me inspiration to write more when I have writer's block. I was hoping you guys could review and critique my writing more though, or pm me if you have an idea for the story. I'm going to take a few days to finish some school stuff, but I'll be writing in the meantime. Thanks again! :) )


	13. Chapter 13

Allegra waited outside, tapping her foot. She paused and looked down at the bandaged arm. Suddenly she thought about ripping off the cloth and swinging her arm up and down, run, jump around, do anything to prove to others that she wasn't weak.

Too many people thought of her that way. An innocent flower to be cared for, preserved in a glass case for safety. She hated the way she looked, especially injured. Nya looked confident and strong, someone that scoffed at anyone who dared to think she needed help. Allegra wished she was more like her.

Erik was the worst of all, treating her like a little sister about to go off into the real world. Not knowing the persistent dangers around every corner, constantly following her. She knew those shadows though, she had been through a lot in life despite looking naive.

That was why she had grabbed Meg's defense gun. To save herself from the shadows for once.. Or maybe to save herself from the person in the mirror. Shatter it with a bullet.

Allegra's thoughts were interrupted by Erik walking out of the opera house. He seemed abnormal, like something was bothering him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"You have a bad habit at peering into everyone's lives, you know that?" He glared at her. "Why don't you just shut up sometimes, okay? Leave me alone."

"Hey, rude! This is from the guy that was so worried about me earlier. What happened to him?"

"He woke up," Erik growled, walking past her.

Allegra reached out for his hand but it passed through. "Are you going to tell me if you found anything at least?!"

He threw the binder on the ground, a few clippings falling out. She carefully collected them and placed them back. "What's your problem?!"

Erik turned around, the brown in his eye turning a slight shade of red and his face scrunching up in hatred. "You! Everything about you!" As he walked towards her she stumbled back, tears forming. "I hate you!" he yelled, cursing. "You make me hate myself more! Why don't you just die already and end my misery?!"

She started to cry from the fear and sadness, hating herself even as the tears continued to fall. To make up for her sign of weakness she started to walk away as confidently as she could, though her arms around the binder shook. "You know what?" she said, looking back at him. "You are the monster you think you are. And I was stupid for falling in love with him."

Erik stared at her, utterly surprised. His expression shattered like a glass mirage, and he looked down to shield an array of tears falling down. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I-I don't know.. Oh, God, I am." His knees gave way and he sat down hard on the ground, wrapping his arms around himself in a cocoon.

Despite feeling like she had been shot again, she tentatively walked over to him.

He seemed to be gaining control of himself, but hid his face from her. "I fell in love with you too," he admitted. "If anything that makes me worse."

Allegra felt wobbly, a migraine creeping into her mind. "Why did you say those things then?"

"I meant to push you away, protect you from myself. I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't know why I said those things on purpose…"

"... Maybe it was the side of you my mother ran away from."

"... Maybe it was.. Why aren't you running away then? Obviously I'm unpredictable. A grenade."

"Because I'm stronger than her. You're my only hope, even if you do scare me sometimes. And… buried inside you, I know a part of you cares about me."

He looked up at her, poking his head out of his arms like an injured animal. "Do you often treat others with such compassion?"

"Those that deserve it, and even those that don't, because I know no one else would care to offer theirs."

He shook his head. "Such a plain way of looking at the world in black and white…" He sighed. "Are you going to let me continue 'snooping around' with you now that you know everything?"

"Hm… On one condition."

"Anything, I swear."

"If you wear the hat."

Erik bitterly laughed. "Fine, give me the stupid hat if it makes you happy."

Allegra took off the hat and gave it to him. "This doesn't mean I forgive you though. That really did hurt."

"I don't ask for your forgiveness. Obviously I don't deserve it," he muttered, putting the hat on.

"Are you sure I'm the one that thinks in white and black? Some things are clear. Like when you love someone, you think, 'This is what love feels like.' Clear as day. But when someone kills someone else in defense, it's not as clear. It's still murder, but does defense really clear the crime?"

"Maybe they should both die so there is no more arguing about it."

"There's that sadistic humor I love. Now come on, Idiot, we're losing daylight."

He stood up, an annoyed look on his face as they walked together. "Hey, Idiot is my nickname for you, Idiot."

"Sure, Phantom."

"Phantom? Really? That's like an insult."

"Oh, and Idiot isn't?"

"... Good point." Erik smirked at Allegra, and she smiled back.

Allegra looked at the back of the binder, the later dates. It was pretty terrible, the words about her. Anyone would be heartbroken about the end of their career already, but the critics were appalling.. The last article gave the approximate location she lived near Paris. Only a few hours away by taxi. It said she was fine with visitors to 'glorify my old fame' if they didn't bring insults with them. The date was a few months ago.

She told him all of this, and after she had nothing to say silence fell.

As they walked down the street she grabbed his hand and held it firmly, surprising herself. He seemed startled and uncomfortable, but didn't pull away. After a minute or two he relaxed and tried to pretend that this was normal for them, for him. That he was alive, that this was a real possibility when it was about as real as a dream.

For now, it was okay to dream.

"You know, I suppose I just had to almost die."

"Why is that?" Erik asked, confused.

"To get even with you."

"Wait, I haven't really come close to dying, and you almost suffocated and was shot."

"When I thought Meg had killed you, it was a lot worse. At least people were there to help me. I had no one. I came close to telling Nya, but she wouldn't have understood even if I had told her everything. I felt really alone. It was like waking up from a good dream and starting to cry because it was a good dream, and you didn't want it to end. You don't really understand unless it's happened to you, like love. Books don't come close because words can't explain it. If anything no words explain it." Allegra realized she was rambling and stopped, looking down.

"I understand. And I'm sorry I caused-cause-so much pain. That was why I hid from society to begin with."

"... Well, pain is okay so long as I have someone to share it with."

"Hm, very strange idiot indeed."

"Oh shut up," Allegra laughed.

It was quiet for a bit before Allegra spoke again.

"You're forgiven," she whispered to Erik.

For now, it was okay for Erik to feel happy.

It felt nicer than the alternative.

* * *

(Good golly I've procrastinated from work again. Oh well, I can't help it. I think working as a journalist has made me realize just how much I hate working as a journalist. I honestly dread when I'm told to write an article now. Creative writing is so much better.. Luckily for you guys, this is creative writing! Thank you so much for the new review, followers, and favorites since the last update. Kind words really are impacting, and critical words are even better because then I want to become better. Thanks again! :) )


	14. Chapter 14

The taxi ride was unbearable. No, not because he was sitting next to Allegra, that was wonderful, but that he couldn't speak to her. Again.

He glared at the taxi driver, and wanted him to jump out of his seat by the sound of Erik's voice. That could also be bad though, since he was driving and all.

Allegra paid the man and they got out, tired of sitting after two hours of traveling in unbearable silence. "Gosh that was boring!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms.

Erik couldn't agree more, and gave her a curt nod. He was never really good at talking, he admitted to himself. Everything he said seemed like an insult or sarcastic remark.

She looked at him, as if to reassure herself that he was still there and well, then started walking with the map in her hands.

"I think they live right down here… Look, in that little cottage!"

Sure enough, the address matched the one in the clipping.

"Wait," Erik said right before Allegra knocked on the door. "They'll recognize you. First you should disguise yourself. Put your hair in a high bun, and I'll put the hat on top to cover it."

"It's so thick and hard to put it in a high bun though. Why do you think I keep it down?"

To torture me?, he thought to himself. She probably wouldn't like that answer though. He just stared at her instead, waiting.

She huffed, twisting her hair up and wrestling with it until it stayed put. He put the hat on top, covering most of it.

"Huh, you look kinda like your father." It was strange how someone he loved could look strangely similar to the man he almost killed. Almost.

"Thanks," she mumbled, obviously not that enthusiastic. She knocked on the door.

A pretty blonde opened the door, smiling. She looked like a foreigner, almost looking like she was from Spain. "Hello, can I help you?" Yup, a Spanish accent.

"Hi, I'm Emily Smith and this is Erik Smith, my brother." Brother?! Great.. "We were hoping to find Carlotta Giudicelli. Does she live here?"

"Erm.. Well, yes, technically she does."

"Can we speak to her?"

"I'm afraid she isn't here right now, but please, come inside."

They walked in, observing the spartan-like house. Very few decorations adorned the walls, and it didn't seem that well kept. As they sat down on chairs in the living room, Erik noticed a bucket below a tear in the roof for when it rained.

"Your brother doesn't speak much, does he?"

Allegra opened her mouth to reply, but Erik cut her off. "No, instead of speaking I like to analyze people. Tell if they are truly telling the truth or not, and the weaknesses they possess.. What did you say your name was?"

The lady hesitated, frowning slightly. "Elizabeth Giudicelli. My friends call me Lizzy."

"Well, Lizzy-" Erik started before she cut him off.

"I said my friends called me that."

Erik glared at her, losing patience. He didn't like people cutting him off, especially when they looked that smug doing it.

Not only that, the atmosphere of the house was driving him crazy. It radiated energy and anger.

He gripped the arm of the chair to keep calm, while Allegra shot him a look. Shut up, it said loud and clear.

"What does your mother do now?" Allegra asked. "She had such a lovely voice."

The corner of Elizabeth's mouth twitched slightly, covering it up with a smile. "Oh, she doesn't work. I wash clothes instead and my sister plays on the streets."

"Plays? What does she play?"

"Violin, Viola, and Cello."

"Oh how wonderful! I play too, maybe someday-" Erik coughed to interrupt her.

"Do you know anything about the shooting at the opera house?" he asked, starting to feel anxiety creeping into his head. The sooner they left, the better.

"I know what the newspaper said."

"Well we highly suspect that your mother shot the concertmistress. Revenge through the family." Course this was a lie; he already knew that it was Elizabeth or her sister.

"How dare you," she replied, standing up. "If my mother saw you you would regret saying that very much indeed."

"Your mother isn't home though," Allegra remarked, crossing her arms. The cold comment made Erik proud as much as how saying 'Thank you' probably made her proud.

A loud thud resonated down the hall. "Oh, but I am!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and her face paled a few shades. "Oh no, oh no. I would leave if I were you."

Allegra looked at Erik, but he shook his head. The sound of heels clicked down the hall, stopping at the doorway of the living room. Carlotta stood there, grinning.

Erik froze, staring at her. "She's not alive," he whispered to Allegra.

"What do you mean?"

He could sense the energy now, it was coming from her. Only, it wasn't like a phantom's energy either. It was much, much darker.

She flicked her hand, sending the detective hat hurtling at the wall and Allegra's hair cascading down. Even Erik couldn't do that without using a lot of energy. She made it seem effortless.

"Dear Elizabeth.. How stupid of you. The girl you almost killed was sitting in our living room and you didn't even know it."

"M-Mother, I didn't see the hair, and her name was changed!"

"Tsk. Tsk." Carlotta glared at her daughter with a hint of hatred. Then she looked at Allegra and Erik. "Now what am I going to do with you, hm?"

Erik's mind clicked. It all made sense. "A demon. She's a demon."

"Yes, and you're a phantom. Bravo, bravo." Carlotta clapped her hands, her eyes flickering crimson red.

Erik knew how dangerous they could be, especially when using all their energy. Even the atmosphere alone drove regular spirits to do bad things. Hurt people. Kill them.

He grabbed Allegra's hand.

"Run," he said.


	15. Chapter 15

They made it approximately two steps before Allegra was wretched away from Erik, slamming into the wall opposite of the hallway door. She fell down, dazed, a symphony of pain exploding in the back of her head as she stared at the scene unfolding like a movie.

Erik started to run towards her but slowed down rapidly, like he was walking through quicksand. In less than a second his legs froze in place. Cursing, he used some energy to throw the water bucket at Carlotta's head.

Since she was a spirit and could decide when to materialize, it sailed through her, slamming into the hallway's wall with an echoing crash.

Elizabeth sat in the corner, close to crying. Allegra didn't know why, when it was Erik and herself under attack. Why would Elizabeth be so scared as well?

"Well, let's see.. I could force you," Carlotta pointed at Erik, "to kill her." She pointed at Allegra. "Oh that would be fun to tell Christine. Hm.. If you come up with a good idea, Elizabeth, I might forgive you for almost letting Allegra slip by again."

"Um. Well.. Maybe you don't have to kill her. M-Maybe it would be worse to take away her violin skills, like they took away your singing. An eye for an eye."

Carlotta thought about this for a moment.

"No, please," Allegra begged, standing up. "Music is all I ever had that I loved and cherished with all my heart. Please don't take it away from me."

The begging only seemed to make the situation worse. "What do you think music was to me, child? A hobby? Ha!"

"I know what Erik did was wrong, but maybe he could give your voice back to you."

Erik shook his head at Allegra. "About that.. I destroyed it a long time ago… It sang too much and complained a lot."

"Great, just great. The only diplomatic solution and you had to get rid of it like a ticking clock!" Allegra sighed. Their hopes of surviving today didn't appear that great in the moment, with a demoness standing in the room and all. "Wait, didn't you tell me that you were an angel of music?"

It was Erik's turn to sigh. "I was never an angel, never will be. It was your mother's stupid nickname for me when she didn't want to accept the fact that I was real."

Allegra's mind started to race, trying to think of solutions. She had a gun, but what good what that do?

She pulled the pistol out anyway, grasping it firmly in her hands just in case Carlotta tried to pull it away. "Let us out," she demanded, pointing the gun at Carlotta.

Carlotta laughed hard, almost shrieking in laughter. "Thats cute, really."

"Or I'll shoot Elizabeth," Allegra finished, turning the gun towards the daughter huddled in the corner of the room.

She stopped laughing, smirking at Allegra. "Go ahead. If I knew Christine at all I know her daughter wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Why does everyone compare me to my mom? What if I'm like my dad?"

"Honey, has your dad ever killed anyone?"

"No.. But there is someone who has." Allegra tossed the gun to Erik, who caught it readily.

"I haven't killed someone in ages," he said, looking at the gun fondly. "I do miss that look on their face." He turned to Elizabeth. "What do you say, Lizzy?"

"Mother please don't let him shoot me," Elizabeth plead, weeping. "I know I was never the son you wanted, that I'm a terrible daughter, and you love my sister more, but please."

The woman stared at her daughter's crying face with little passion. The only emotion that shined through was disgust. Allegra wanted to empathize with Elizabeth, for she must have had a hard life trying to earn her mother's approval, but it was hard to do that when Allegra's life was on the line.

"Get out of here. You make me sick."

Elizabeth scurried out of the room, and Allegra heard the slam of the front door a few seconds later. Now their only leverage was gone too.

She was close to giving up. If people wanted her dead so much, maybe it was a sign that she needed to die. There was a chance that she'd become a phantom anyway.

Living life was grueling compared to the deep sleep of death.

Maybe it was better to give in and not fight anymore.

Erik's arm started to twitch violently, slowly pointing the gun at Allegra's head. A few tears slipped down his face, and his eyes looked like those of a tortured animal.

"It's okay, Erik," Allegra said, starting to cry as well and her voice sounded choked. "If I had to choose how to die, I'd want to be killed by the person I love."

"Why?" Carlotta asked, curious.

Allegra looked at her, trying to gain an ounce of confidence. "Because they would be the last thing I see."

"Hm. I'll ruin that image for you then." Carlotta flicked her hand and Erik's mask fell to the ground.

He froze, staring at Allegra while she stared at him.

It was gruesome, she admitted to herself. Parts of his yellow flesh were peeling off, revealing the bone of his skull. The skin looked like a child had smeared it, then pulled it taut like taffy almost to the point of breakage. Only a few tufts of hair remained on the bad side of his face, contrasting against the other side. He looked like the undead.

"It doesn't matter," she said, looking Erik in the eyes.

Carlotta scoffed. "What? How can it not matter? You're lying."

"Unlike the generation you grew up in, looks don't matter to mine. We judge on a person's character, not the clothes they were or how pretty they look. People that judge others like that can rot where they belong."

The demoness clenched her teeth, enraged by the comment. "Kill her," she ordered to Erik, her voice similar to the deep growl of a wolf.

Allegra closed her eyes, preparing herself.

She heard loud rustling and movement, then a couple shots ring out.

No pain occurred. Was she already in the afterlife?

Opening her eyes, gasping in shock and terror.

Nya lay on the floor, gazing up at Allegra. She had taken the bullets for her, with little time left.

Carlotta shrieked loud while Allegra fell to her knees beside Nya.

"Please don't go," she said, taking Nya's hand. "You're the first best friend I ever had, you have to know that, okay?" Nya nodded, a tear escaping down the side of her face.

"Run," she whispered to Allegra, trying to smile as best as she could.

"No, no, no…" Allegra looked up at Erik, who was released of his bondage while Carlotta was distracted by the enormous amount of emotion. "Save her! You shot her! You shot my best friend!"

Erik put his mask back on, then rushed over to Nya, but before he could even examine how bad the injuries were Nya had closed her eyes and gone still.

Carlotta threw the chairs against the other side of the room, splintering them into pieces.

While she was destroying basically everything she could within reach, Erik pulled Allegra away. "We have to get out. She bought us time. Don't waste it."

She allowed herself to be led, running down the street and towards the nearest city. While they were running she broke down, stopping. "She's gone.. Oh my God, she's gone.."

Allegra knew he rarely hugged anyone, but since her friend had just died he seemed to make an exception, embracing her.

"She saved me," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I know, Idiot, I know.. I was there. I'm so sorry. I truly am."

"It wasn't your fault, I know that.."

She pulled away, brushing away her tears.

Her heart felt numb again, the cold of death threatening to overtake the warmth of love.

"What do we do now?"

"We need to research how to fight her before we return. There's one problem though. I think she's trapped inside the house, like most demons are, but her spirit can attach itself to other spirits or humans, changing their personality and how they act. I think that's why I made you cry earlier today, something I would never do. I felt the same energy then."

Allegra nodded. "That's nice, but not the answer for my question. What do we do now, after we just watched someone die?"

"Oh… I donno.. We live, I guess."

"With a burden on us? Forever on us? It's too hard sometimes.."

"Hey," Erik said seriously, touching Allegra's shoulder. "No matter how hard it gets, know that I'm here. Even if I do die or somehow run out of energy, I still live in you. Nya still lives in you too. Don't forget that."

Allegra closed her eyes from the world, letting the words sink in.

She opened them, trying to smile. "For a not so mushy, emotional guy, that actually did help."

"What else am I here for?" he joked, even when it didn't feel that right to joke around so soon.

"To get a second chance at life," she responded quickly, saying the first thing that had popped into her mind. "Sorry, I guess you're not really alive and all, but you know what I mean."

"It's okay. You're right… Let's just go back to Paris."

Allegra looked back at the street they had run down. Someday they'd have to go back and defeat Carlotta before she ruined their lives.

Someday soon she'd have to relive that moment. That pain of losing Nya.

That terrified her more than Carlotta ever could.


	16. Author's Note

Sorry about the Author's Note.

One of my goals was exactly not to but alas, here I am, typing this. So, I'm going through a lot of stress lately. My AP tests are coming up, I'm studying for my SAT and SAT Subject Tests, and I just started a writing club! This is a lot of responsibility piled on top of my regular classes, writing articles, and this fanfiction. So I am going to set a week aside of writing for this fanfiction to catch up on things.

My next update will probably be late 4/23. Thanks for those of you who are following my story, and I hope the next chapters will have been worth the wait.


	17. Chapter 16

At first, Allegra didn't want to tell her.

Nya seemed so lively and excited about where life may take her later; Allegra couldn't stop that.

As they lounged on chairs at a quiet Paris cafe, sipping on coffee like usual, Nya gushed about her plans. "Oh, goodness, it'll be so wonderful! After we join a bigger orchestra we'll travel across Europe, you and me! Imagine it. London, Madrid, Barcelona.. Maybe I'll meet a cute street performer, hm? What do you say?"

"Nya… Nya, I can't," Allegra responded, looking down at her cup.

She pouted. "And why not?"

"This isn't real. You're not.. I saw you die."

Nya stared at Allegra. "Oh… I suppose so.. Why did you let me die, Allegra?"

Allegra could barely breathe, having a mini panic attack as she looked at Nya.

"Where am I? .. Why did you let me die?" she repeated, a glazed look covering Nya's expression. She looked helpless and scared, like a child lost in a crowd. "Why did you let me die?"

"I-I, oh my God.." Allegra covered her mouth as half of Nya's face peeled away, turning into Erik's.

Nya frowned at her, repeating "Why did you let me die?" once more before tumbling backwards in her chair. Allegra instinctively stood up to help her, but as she saw the same bloody sight Allegra covered her face and started to scream instead.

* * *

"Wake up, Idiot, wake up!"

Allegra woke up, staring at Erik, who was shaking her shoulders.

She bit into her lip to stop it from trembling and rubbed her forehead with her hands to cover the tears that slipped down her face.

"Let me guess. Nya," Erik said, sitting down next to Allegra. His expression didn't appear compassionate, but Allegra could spot the concern in it. The missing smirk gave it away.

She nodded, then sighed. It was nice while it lasted, seeing Nya again. It felt so real for a moment.. Allegra wondered what it would be like to sleep for a week or so, dreaming of lost ones. Probably not that productive though.

"Come on. We're meeting Elizabeth at the library. Then you're going to practice."

"Practice? What do you mean? The director told me not to join until the doctor said I

could play."

Erik looked away, a small smirk appearing again. "Oh, I took care of that.."

"... What did you do, Phantom?"

"What phantoms do… I put a dead squirrel in his office with a note to put you back in. Or else."

"Great, Erik. Just great. Now he's going to assume I did it."

"Then why did this letter come?" Erik held up a creamy envelope with the orchestra's seal on it. Allegra snatched it from him and ripped it open. Sure enough, the director asked her to come back immediately. Nothing about squirrels, but the tone was urgent.

"Don't do something like that again, okay?"

"If we keep talking we're going to end up being late…"

"Gah, just leave!" Allegra pointed at the door.

Erik smiled, passing through it to the other side.

While she was still upset, at least she could play again. That might cheer her up. Or make her depressed, seeing another person take Nya's spot… Her arm still hurt, but she could fake it well enough. She needed music at the moment to drown everything else out. Until the sound waves bounced inside her brain enough to numb everything for a minute or two.

* * *

"So, why are you so white, and Nya so dark-skinned?" Erik asked, leaning back in his chair.

Elizabeth sighed. "Well, it starts with my mother's disappointment in me. You see, she wanted a child rise to fame, and I was her only child at the time. She tried, but I never quite picked up music that well. She got mad at me, and tossed me to the side like I was worthless. Suddenly she left the house one day, in search of an orphan and raise her to be a star. She found Nya, and experimented on her. The cello and her fit like a young couple. Perfect. She sent her off to a music school right after we really became sisters.." She paused for a moment and closing her eyes. A second before Allegra was going to ask if she was okay, Elizabeth resumed the story, opening her eyes.

"During that time my mother lost it. She was fed up on hate of the past. Usually Nya could calm her down, but obviously she wasn't around. One day she never came back home… Until a week later, when she started to possess the house. I was terrified of dying. When Nya came back she pretended to hate you. I think she wanted to be in control of killing you, so she could let you run off instead. I'm sorry things turned out this way, but at least you knew her for a while."

Allegra nodded. "Well, she told me that she had a sister that she missed, but never anything about parents."

"... Yeah, I really missed her too… Well, come on. We better look at some books to get rid of my mother. There has to be something about demons around here."

Allegra stood up from her chair. "Actually, you two are. I have to run to practice, and then go to Nya's memorial afterwards. If you come wear something nice, and no black."

They said goodbye and she walked out of the library, breathing in the fresh air deeply. It felt strange to be able to breathe, smell the fresh bread in the breeze, and enjoy life when someone else couldn't anymore.

"Oh, when will I stop thinking things like that?" she murmured to herself, walking along the street with her violin case in hand.

It didn't take long to get to the opera house, and everyone welcomed her with open arms. Well, besides Bethany. Her lead role was over, and she seemed overly bitter about relinquishing it.

Allegra took her seat with a spark of joy in her heart. The practice went well, even though she was cite reading all of her new songs. She lost herself in the music a couple times, leaving her thoughts behind. The director babied her though, not calling her out for small mistakes like usual. She'd have to talk to him later about that. Allegra didn't need, or want, any handouts.

"Okay, boys and girls. Go and get changed into your good clothes. We are celebrating the life of a gifted cellist tonight. I don't want to see one sad face though, you hear me? We all know how boisterous she was. I'm sure she would be upset by her death causing more people to act dead too. I'm not going to say have fun though. Be respectful."

The girls and guys split up into the old costume rooms, putting on their gowns and vests after putting their instruments away. Allegra wore a deep ocean blue dress, like the police boxes they had in Britain when she visited.

The memorial was held in the orchestra's extra practice room for the group. The old ballerinas used to practice in there, and their mirrors still adorned the walls. They reflected the mass of people coming in and constantly chatting about Nya.

If Allegra had to listen to one more person ask if she was alright, or tell her how they just knew Nya was at peace now, she was going to go absolutely insane.

To make matters worse, both Erik and Elizabeth had ditched her. Probably pouring over books in the library.

"I'm not feeling that well," Allegra told a third violinist. "I might go home early."

"Oh, okay Allegra. I'll let the director know you left," she replied. "Do you want me to call a taxi?"

"No, no. It's 's still light out, so I'll just walk instead."

"In your dress?"

"Yeah, why not?" she shrugged. "It's Paris after all."

The girl nodded, walking away into the blend of people.

It may be a city full of interesting people, but she didn't want to stick out. She changed into her normal clothes and grabbed her violin.

The walk was peaceful, tracing along the city's lights. Everyone seemed so relaxed, and the city gave off a nice vibe of romance and hope.

Maybe, just maybe, she could try living for Nya, like she was a camera on her shoulders, experiencing life alongside Allegra. The thought filled her with hope, and a new found confidence.

Allegra collapsed on her bed, exhausted. Glancing sideways, she noticed a piece of paper on her desk that wasn't there in the morning.

"I hope Erik and Elizabeth didn't spontaneously make up and go around Paris together... Though they would make a funny couple." Allegra smiled, pulling herself off the bed and over to the note.

_Dear Allegra,_

_Turns out your pet phantom isn't as smart as he boasts. My ex-daughter and him came to the house and managed to stumble into my trap. Their little tricks were very cute, I admit. If you want to save them all I ask of you is to pay a visit to me. I'll be waiting._

_Sincerely,_

_Carlotta_

* * *

(Ello, guys! Sorry it took so long. This week has been crazy. I guess I'm the president of my new club, and I'm trying to become the vice president of national honor society in my high school. Crazy, but amazingly fun. :) I'll update soon, especially since I love what happens in the next chapter. 'Till next time.)


	18. Chapter 17

Allegra paced back and forth, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought about what to do. She hadn't been trained for something like this. Quite honestly, she was terrified to the core.

"Think, Allegra. What would Erik do?"

Obviously what Erik had done turned out to be a complete flop, so that didn't help her thinking. "No, no, no. Think, think!"

"Allegra?" a teenager's voice said, leaning her head into the bedroom. Her black hair tumbled forward as her piercing green eyes stared at Allegra. "Why are you talking to yourself? Oh, is there a ghost?!"

Not currently, Allegra admitted to herself. "Hey, Melody. You're into the supernatural stuff, right?"

She leaned against the doorframe, a smug smirk on her face. "As in a researcher of multiple myths such as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, and a long time fan of gravesites, yup, I am."

"Do you know anything about demons?"

"Uh.. Multiple stuff, I guess, but mostly that they shouldn't be messed with. My friend almost died when she tried to catch one in a pentagram."

Allegra sighed. "Is Meg home?"

"No. Mom won't be home 'till late. Working on paperwork. Why?"

"Look. You can't tell her what I'm about to tell you, but I really need your help. I think a demoness has kidnapped my friends and they might be in trouble." Allegra handed Melody the note. "I need to get them back."

"Woah, wait 'till I tell Matt and October. Tell me everything first, and I'll try to help."

Allegra told her everything about Carlotta and Nya's death, even about Erik and Christine. "You can't tell anyone, you swear? This is really big. Bigger than the both of us combined."

"Fine, I get it. What doesn't add up is how she can manipulate objects. There must either be a strong emotional tie to the land or a large energy force surrounding it if she can manifest freely. Most ghosts and demons we can't see because they are what we call 'drifters.' Erik and Carlotta are special, Allegra." Melody eyes narrowed slightly, and Allegra caught a small hint of envy in her eyes before it dissipated. "Anyway.. Come on to my room of the supernatural."

Allegra had never actually been in Melody's room before, so she tentatively followed Melody down the hall.

It looked.. interesting to say the least. She had blocked out her windows and ceiling light with black paper, tracing where the ceiling and walls met with a light cord. Candles littered the place, and her desk contained large stacks of old looking books. Overall, everything seemed shrouded in darkness.

"This is my humble den," Melody smiled. She went over to her drawer and pulled out a wooden box. "And these are my warders." Pulling out a crystal necklace, she said, "Here, put this on."

Allegra placed it over her head and looked down at the multiple colors. Some looked like amethyst and quartz, but she couldn't be certain. "How will this-"

"Energy," Melody interrupted, putting a necklace on herself. "Also, I have two vials of holy water, a bunch of salt, and a lighter."

"That's it? You haven't seen her yet. You don't know what she's capable of."

"Yet? I don't even know if I want to come. Demons are some serious business."

"So I'll be left to die? Fine." When Melody didn't respond Allegra tried another tactic. "I guess Max and October will never know about the cool fight then, or how you barely made it out alive, hm? What a shame.. Thanks for the help though, it means a lot to me."

As she walked down the stairs Melody called out "Wait! I'll join you."

* * *

If you could choose how you wanted to die, dying at the hands of a crazy demoness in a cool fight to save your friends seemed better than dying in your sleep. Or so thought Allegra.

As they were walking towards Carlotta's cottage, they discussed the game plan. After deciding on one, Melody started chatting away to stave off the nervousness. "So how did you meet?"

"In his labyrinth."

"Is he cute?"

"Uh.. Sure, yes. But not at first. At first he seems pretty, uh, ordinary, but once you get to know him his face sorta becomes him, and it becomes something better."

"Okay, super weird answer.. So do you love him?"

Allegra glanced at Melody. "Do you love Matt/Max/Whateverhisnamewas?"

Melody's face flushed. "Wh-what? No, we're like siblings. He's not into me like that.."

"Well if you can obviously lie to me then I can lie in return, so what's the point in replying?" It seemed like something Erik would say, making Allegra miss him more.

"What if you die and he asks about it later?"

"Then tell him I loved him. Honestly, I'm still working out everything in my head, because we can't really be together. He's a ghost, you know? Not really.. here. It's hard to love somebody you know you can't love. At least, until I die I guess, but I'd also rather not spend my life like I'm staring at a clock.. Sorry, I'm rambling…"

Melody shook her head. "No, I get it. My mom is never really around, so it's hard to really love her when I never see her anyway. Sure, I do, it's like an unspoken rule to love her, but its.. wobbly."

Allegra noticed the cottage getting closer in view. "Hey, at least we had a nice heart-to-heart talk before the battle."

"Yeah," Melody grinned. "I actually am not as jealous as I was before. I sure wouldn't want to be you right now."

"Thanks, Mel…"

"Don't die now that I actually care if you die or not, k?" Melody glanced at Allegra one last time before jogging off to the right, disappearing behind the treeline.

"Here goes nothing."

Allegra nervously walked up to the front door. "Should I knock?" she murmured to herself, but as she finished her question the door creaked open. "Oookay.."

She stepped inside, uncapping the holy water. "Erik, Elizabeth?! Carlotta show yourself!" Her voice shook from fear, but the fear of losing Erik and Elizabeth forced her to stay.

The door slammed behind her, and when Allegra tried to twist the knob it stayed put. There was no way out now, besides killing Carlotta.

"Oh precious child," Carlotta's voice cooed, sounding like it was coming from everywhere at once. "Erik isn't here darling. Neither is my traitor of a daughter. They came for me hours ago. You really are quite slow.."

"I was at your daughter's memorial!" Allegra retorted. She realized that she could see part of the room where Nya had died. Feeling faint, she asked, "Where are they?"

"Just because you're going to die doesn't mean I'm going to tell you all of my secrets, child." She chuckled. "Ready to face me?"

Allegra gave a curt nod, even when her entire brain wanted to jump out a window and run, or curl up into a ball and wait to be killed.

"Then meet me where Nya's soul left."

Allegra caught on to Carlotta's trick fast. Melody had said emotional ties to land made demons stronger, and that much residual energy would be an unfair advantage.

"No, we battle outside. You don't have any neighbors anyway. Unless you're so weak that you have to rely on extra energy.."

A pause. Then the door opened behind Allegra. When she turned around Carlotta stood about thirty feet away, cloaked in a red that matched her eyes and hair. She took a deep breath and stepped outside.

Wind whipped around Allegra and the sky darkened. Melody was probably watching Allegra for her cue, so she didn't feel completely alone.

Without a warning, Carlotta darted towards Allegra at inhuman speed, a knife glittering in her hand. Allegra jumped to the side instinctively, spraying the blob of red with a mix of holy water and salt.

Carlotta cursed, brushing off the salt water off her arms. It left second degree burns, but Carlotta only seemed annoyed rather than turning into a puddle. Not good.

Allegra then noticed a pain in her own right arm and glanced down at it, shocked to see a trail of red running down it. The wound wasn't that deep, but it was enough blood to frighten Allegra.

Taking out her supply of salt, she drew a pentagram around herself, in hopes that Carlotta would run into it and become trapped. Allegra stepped back from Carlotta and the pentagram, smiling.

"I don't know why you're smiling. You do know that when a demon isn't inside the circle, it invites other lost spirits to manifest inside of it?"

Allegra knit her eyebrows together, confused. Melody hadn't told her that part. That wasn't part of the plan.

A blob of black started to form in the pentagram, growing, shaping itself into a human form.

The darkness dripped away, leaving behind an african-american girl in a flowing blue dress.

Nya.

* * *

(Hey guys! So sorry I haven't posted in forever. This week has been crazy for me. Just today I spoke at a teacher rally, went to a study group for my AP Chemistry Exam in three days, and was interviewed for a position in Girls State. I'm still a little frazzled and jittery from being put on the spot so often. So I probably won't update until Wednesday, with my huge exam coming up, and another one May 13. Also, a friend of mine asked if I listened to music while I wrote. Yes, I do, and I'll be adding a list of songs to my profile that you should check out. As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! 'Till next time!)


	19. Chapter 18

Allegra reeled backwards, barely catching herself as she fell to the ground. Nya, the image of her hauntings and guilt stood not even two feet away, stunning Allegra. Some things were better left dead so others could begin to heal, and she could feel the wound of Nya's death reopening in her heart.

Nya didn't do much at first. She only gazed down at Allegra with no emotion held in the lifeless orbs of her eyes. For the first time, Allegra noticed the dress she was wearing. It was the same dress she had worn to her memorial service, a message that Nya had been there, watching.

On the brink of a mental breakdown after this realization, Allegra swore she would start crying if Nya asked where she was or why she was in this state.

Only, instead of asking questions when Nya opened her mouth, no words came out at all. Allegra's face mirrored Nya's in confusion, while Carlotta murmured, "Ah, so she lost her voice."

"What do you mean?" Allegra asked.

"Well, some lost spirits lose things when they die, only to be regained when they free themselves. Nya lost her voice obviously, and I partially lost my beauty. Eh, she wasn't a good singer anyhow."

"Talent has no place among the dead. Some things are more important than how good your vibrato is once you are no longer breathing." Avoiding Nya's eyes, Allegra stood up, her legs still shaky.

Carlotta scoffed. "Perhaps not, but self-esteem is. You lose your self worth and you are nothing but a shadow in this world. Vanity, talent, etc. fuel passion, and passion means surviving. Speaking of talent.. Now that my _other_ disobedient child is here, she can watch my talent for killing. Too bad another experienced killer of best friends isn't here to watch and learn."

Allegra's voice shook as she replied, "Don't you dare bring Erik into this. Not right before I die." Truthfully, she was afraid of dying and never seeing him again. Never having the chance to say goodbye, or tell him about her feelings. Only holding the last image of her friends in the library as her life seeped out.

"Ouch. Did I strike a chord?" Carlotta grinned viciously. "Just wait 'till I slash through those vocal chords of yours. No one would hear you scream either way."

Nya pounded on the pentagram's invisible barrier, silently screaming at Carlotta.

Speaking louder than before, Allegra said, "But I'm not alone."

"Yes, yes, Nya is here, I get that."

"No. I'm _not _alone." Silence. Melody must have heard the signal, but there was no rushing out with a net covered in oil. No help whatsoever. "Oh God.." She felt herself shatter. "I am alone."

Allegra blinked and suddenly Carlotta was holding a knife against her throat from behind, the cool metal pressed against her skin.

Acceptance was hard to find, but Allegra accepted that she was better off dead. The universe had already tried to kill her numerous times, and she was weary of fighting back. And so she didn't reach for her holy water like Melody instructed.

She only asked if her friends would be let go if she willingly died, blood dripping down her neck as she spoke.

"Sure, fine. I'm sure they will be in pain for the rest of their lives anyway."

"Okay... Kill me fast then."

Nya placed the palm of her hand on the barrier towards Allegra, offering a small smile of reassurance. Her spirit would be awaiting Allegra's, affirming her decision to die.

"Oh come on," a voice called. "I expected more of a fight in you. So disappointing indeed. We'll speak about your killing tactics later."

"Phantom?" Carlotta cried out, not moving the knife's position.

Allegra smiled. "That's my nickname. It would be better to find your own."

A tuft of black clouds formed twenty feet away, swirling into an enlarging mass of what appeared to be storm clouds. Erik stepped out of the clouds as they dissipated, not an inch of happiness measurable. Rather, his face was so contorted with rage it troubled Allegra.

"Let her go and face me. If you can kill me then you can have the pleasure of killing her."

"Uh, I'd rather not have my life bargained with," Allegra interrupted. Erik shot her a cold glare. "Right, shutting up now…"

"Why can't I kill her now? I've been waiting ages to serve revenge to this family."

"Revenge? What about the pride of knowing you obliterated the most powerful phantom known to mankind? People would fear your name instead of laughing at it."

Carlotta seemed to mull over his proposal. "It would be a nice fight… Why not?" She took the knife away from Allegra's throat. While she touched the cut that had been left behind, Carlotta traced a circle around Allegra. Setting it on fire, she exclaimed, "There! Now if she leaves before my spirit has left she will burn to death. If I don't die, she will also burn to death."

"Fine," Erik nodded. "But here are my terms. No emotional influence. Nya is ordered to be released."

"What about Allegra? She's a rather big emotional influence, am I right?"

"Her influence is not beneficial to my powers. Rather, the opposite."

Allegra looked at him, understanding what he meant but needing to hear it for herself. "Meaning what?"

Emotionless, Erik said to her, "You bring out the good in me," accompanied by a shrug. "That is the worst thing to have in a fight."

That struck a deeper chord than Carlotta's comment ever could have. The fear of being useless, or even worsening the situation, was one of her greatest fears. Allegra still forced herself to nod and pretend that it hadn't hurt.

Nya looked at Allegra before vanishing, looking okay about her situation, and leaving behind only a trail of salt.

Gradually, a rumble of thunder filled the clearing, only there were no clouds in sight. Allegra realized that the sound radiated from Carlotta, who was engulfed in a red halo of energy.

Erik took out a long sword, a dark black surrounding him as well. "Begin," he spoke.

Not even a second afterwards did they clash together, a shockwave of energy pushing out towards Allegra. Erik faltered slightly under Carlotta's power before forcing her back with a black orb of energy.

She returned the attack with a wall of red collapsing on top of Erik, who threw up his arms for protection. Stumbling backwards, she thought she could see him already breathing hard in exhaustion.

"Allegra!" he shouted, raising his sword as Carlotta conjured a huge ball of fire. "Don't look, our pure forms are known to scare people to-" he ducked her fireball, "insanity!"

With that, his dark halo started to envelope him like a cocoon, expanding and contorting into inhuman shapes. Carlotta began to shift as well, though her form looked already larger in size.

Ignoring Erik's warning, Allegra gaped at the huge beasts. Erik stood at about two stories tall, while Carlotta stood a good story taller.

Their forms were very ineffable, but they looked like shadow monsters, not really looking solid, with human proportions and an large head that jutted out behind them and were stretched out in creases this way. Their arms looked jagged, with no actual hands, and enormous looking stumps for feet. Their faces, contorted because of the off head shape, only contained small almond eyes. Erik's form was ink black with blood eyes, and Carlotta flaunted a crimson shade of mass with piercing green eyes. An allegory to Allegra's mom perhaps.

They looked otherworldly.

Once more, they began to battle, only this time throwing waves of dark energy like waves at each other with their arms.

When Erik began to fall back, Carlotta spun into a red tornado, shockwaves of lightning flaking off of her, and heading in the direction of Erik. Wearily, he began turned into the form of a tornado, and the two started to bounce like tops on a table. One of them was bound to die if they continued.

"Stop!" Allegra shrieked. "Just stop!" The fighting continued, but they were almighty then surely they could hear her. "Carlotta, what is the point in revenge? What's the point in all of this? Look at what you've become! Think of your children! One is dead because of you and the other one hates just the sound of your name. Just because your voice sucked doesn't mean you had to ruin your whole life. What happened afterwards was your choice, not mine, not my mother's, so don't take it out on me or the people I love!"

Taking a deep breath, she continued. "If you keep the past inside you it's going to tear you apart. I know that. I grew up watching my mother in pain because of the opera house too. You know what? Life sucks sometimes, deal with it. And I'm not saying forget everything that's happened to you. Just find a way to forgive yourself and everyone you're so mad at! I looked at you in the past. You were accomplished, beautiful, and kind. What happened to the girl that money and fame corrupted? That's the woman I want to talk to, the mother your children wanted, and the person you need to be to move on."

Carlotta's tornado slowed down, back to her shadow form. It turned towards Allegra.

"Let go," Allegra said. "Just let go."

The form shrinked down to Carlotta's human self, and Erik quickly followed, falling down to the ground.

Before Allegra could help him she had to stop Carlotta.

Tears started to stream down Carlotta's face. "You don't know me. You don't know the humiliation I went through daily."

"That humiliation is gone now. You're dead. It doesn't matter. Stop reliving the past and start moving on. Please.. We all want to see you happy again."

Carlotta genuinely smiled at Allegra for the first time, offering her a small nod.

Then she collapsed to the ground, clawing at her throat and gasping for air.

"Carlotta!" Allegra yelled, unable to leave the circle.

She writhered on the ground, a white halo enveloping her. A harsh bright light formed around Carlotta. Allegra's eyes squinted into it, trying to see what was happening.

When it faded Carlotta stood up, a vision of white, with angel wings adorning her. She looked Allegra's age again, beautiful, and with a down-to-earth image.

"Thank you," she said, her voice softer. "I was so consumed with hate, I forgot who I was.. Now I'm free."

"Does this make our families even?" Allegra asked, smiling.

Carlotta returned the smile. "More like we are forever in your debt." She began to fade away. "Thank you," she repeated before vanishing.

The circle around Allegra stopped burning, and she tentatively stepped out of it. Once free, she ran to Erik's side.

"Erik! Erik wake up!" She held his limp head in her hands, kneeling beside him. At least he was still materializing himself, a hopeful sign. "Phantom.. I need you.."

Erik took in a sharp breath, most likely in shock than in actual necessity for air, opened his eyes, and started to cough. "Did" cough "someone" cough "say they need me?" He attempted to smirk at her.

The tears she was holding back fell down, and she hugged him tight.

"Hey, ow, still in immense pain.."

"Oh! Right! Sorry." She let go of him, brushing away her tears with a smile.

"Allegra!" Melody called, walking into the clearing and waving her arms. She said, "Hiya, what's up?" when she made it over to them.

Allegra stood up, clenching her fists. "What's up?! You left me stranded, almost about to die, and all you have to say is 'What's up?'"

Melody held up her hands. "Hey, sorry. I told you I didn't want to get involved."

"You!" Allegra held her breath, trying to calm down. "You were probably right about staying away. It was really dangerous."

"Great show though," Melody remarked. "I should've brought popcorn."

Allegra counted down from ten, breathing in and out slowly.

Erik chuckled, slowly standing up with Allegra's help.

"Let's go home guys," she said. "I think that was enough action for a lifetime."

"You mean you guys can't fight another demon?!"

"Mel. No."

"But-"

"No," Allegra and Erik responded, Erik's tone harsher.

"Fine…"

(Hey guys, so sorry about the wait. I've been like crazy with anxiety the past week. My AP Chem test was horrible, but I think I did okay. The AP Lang test next Wed is the one that really counts. Oh! And this week I found out the most incredible news! I was accepted, after a very long process, to earn a full ride scholarship to Girls State! It's complicated to explain what it is, but it's a week long in June. Speaking of the future, during the summer my updates will be a little wibbly wobbly. I'm spending a week at a college in June, and after the Fourth of July I'm leaving to Arizona... In the summer.. 120 degree weather.. I need to check out some colleges on the way there (UC-Davis and either Oregon State or University of Portland, plus Northern Arizona University.) Then my family will be coming back to Washington while I go with my older cousin to the East Coast on our own for almost all of August to check out Oberlin (Ohio!), Yale (New Haven!), and Emerson (Boston!). Crazy summer indeed, but very important. I have no idea what's in store.. More about that in the future. 'Till next time!)


	20. Chapter 19

The swingset creaked while Allegra rocked back and forth on it. Up, down, back up again. It might have seemed childish to Erik, who merely sat on his next to her, but she loved how she could forget about everything for a moment while the world became disorientated.

Lately she had been avoiding everything. The opera house. Meg. Melody. The truth.

She admitted that they couldn't be together forever. She would continue aging while he stayed the same. Even though her heart only seemed to function right when she was with him, her heart couldn't control time.

Allegra slowed to a halt, staring at her feet. "Erik?" she whispered.

"What?"

"I don't know what's going to happen, but.. promise me you won't leave me like you did before."

He stood up, his back towards her. "I can't," he said quietly, raw emotion evident in just those two syllables.

"Erik, I-"

"Shut up," he ordered. As she was about to protest, he said softer, "Look up." She did exactly that, and began to watch a family passing by. It looked like a stereotypical family of strangers. The dad was holding an infant in pink gently in his arms as they walked, while the mother chased after a giddy toddler in blue overalls and bright orange shirt, a grin plastered on her face.

"I can't give you that. I can't give you a future."

"I know that," Allegra responded quickly. He started to walk away from the swingset. "Erik, wait."

Instead of stopping, he began to run away, still visible to her. At least he was giving her the image of him running away instead of simply vanishing from her life. Only, she wouldn't allow that.

She would run to him and somehow convince him that everything would be okay. She was all he had, no one else would really care if he left. If he felt like it was time, he would leave this world. Could she really allow that to happen and not know if she would see him when she herself woke up after death?

All of this crossed her mind in a matter of seconds. In the next few seconds, she steadily broke out into a run after him. Erik glanced back at her and took a sharp right towards the road.

"Erik!" Allegra called out as a car hurtled towards him. It screeched its tires and honked, but Erik didn't change his pace as he let it pass through him. Right, a phantom.

Allegra paused on the edge of the huge road, looking left and right. There was a gap in traffic, but not for long. She started to run across the street, her heart pounding as the incoming cars honked at her.

She looked to her right at a car coming in ahead only two lanes away. She could make it. She had too in order to catch up to him.

Erik. Her grandfather's violin. Her mom. Meg and Melody. Those feelings of love encouraged her, made her feet pound against the stone faster.

She thought it would be enough. Only it wasn't.

As soon as she realized it she looked at Erik, who had slowed to a walk on the other side.

"I lo-"  
The car crashed into her side.

Allegra hit the car's window first with a large crunch resonating like the crash of a timpani, then was thrown into the air spinning. The pain didn't translate into her brain until she hit the ground, her head slamming into the stone. The pain blossoming in her brain, encompassing her thoughts of love and music, was the last thing she felt when it all faded away.

* * *

Melody sat on her bed, numb. On the inside she pulled on her hair and threw the vase nearby at the wall just to feel the satisfaction of watching it shatter against the wall. She couldn't do that though, with a phantom staring at her and all.

"Did you know that I had a sister?"

He simply stared at her, still quiet ever since he had told her.

"She.. She was called Jackie.. After the famous cellist. She.. died when I was nine. My mother doesn't like speaking about her, so she tells everyone that I'm an only child." After Erik didn't look up or say anything she resumed speaking. "I hated Allegra's guts at first, because she was the same age Jackie would've been.. And then we started talking, and she seemed nice, and like she needed me, you know? I was afraid of losing someone else again, so I didn't try to talk to her too much... How does it still hurt so much then?"  
Erik nodded. Melody wasn't sure if he even bothered listening to her unless it was about bringing Allegra back, so she stopped rambling.

"Look, are you sure about this? I know her death is tough. Hell, it's tough on me too, but what if she isn't there when I try?"

He looked up at her with a look of pain covering his exposed face, mixed with anger. He cursed, slamming his fist against Melody's wall. "If there was the slightest chance you could see your sister again wouldn't you try too?"

Melody crossed her arms, feeling defensive. With Allegra gone she couldn't trust Erik's melodramaticness. "I did try. She was gone. But fine, let's go." Melody went over to her drawer, grabbing some salt and other items.

As she went downstairs she started to ramble off again, just to fill the air. "You know I hate even doing this, right? I'm into the supernatural, but not this kind."

"The real kind?" Erik commented, chuckling at her.

Melody opened the door to the backyard. "No. The dark kind. I like the spooky stuff, the stuff that gives children nightmares, but not the stuff that could kill someone that's untrained."

"Good, now start."

"Do you even care if I die in the process?!"

Erik's eyes flashed crimson. "No. I don't to be honest. I would enjoy watching a demon tear you apart."

"Sheesh," Melody said, looking away as she prepared the circle. "You're a real something without Allegra's good energy around you." He said nothing as she set everything up. "Look, I am somewhat trained. With the things set up here there's only a small chance a demon is powerful enough to manifest. Only a lost spirit would be able to."

She sat down on the grass while Erik began to pace around. "Now what?" he asked.

"Now we wait. There's a reason I brought two boxes of pocky and some oreos."

They ended up waiting for a good portion of the afternoon. Elizabeth came over towards the end, and still refused to leave knowing the girl that had saved her life was gone. When the sky started to turn pink Melody decided the torture of waiting had to come to an end.

"I don't think she's coming, guys. She would have manifested by now."

Elizabeth shook her head, starting to cry for the fifth time. "No, no.. What does this mean? Is she okay?"

"It's good news and bad news.." Melody took in a deep breath. "I think she's moved on."

Everyone went silent, looking at a random object rather than each other.

Erik broke the silence. "I'm going to leave," he announced.

"Leave?" Elizabeth said. "What do you mean by that?"

"There's no point in staying here. I've been hurt enough by this world."

Melody thought of something that would make him stay for at least a week so she could ask him questions and give the information to her group. "Well, I read somewhere that if someone turns into a powerful phantom, like you, it can take up to a week. Usually they return to where they last lived. Here."

Erik narrowed his eyes at Melody, probably analyzing if she was lying or not. Luckily she had had some practice lying to her mom enough to lie convincingly. "Fine. But you won't see me. I want to be alone."

Before Melody could protest, he vanished. Her only shot of learning more about phantoms gone. Elizabeth looked at her like she was going to start crying again. "Is that actually true?"

"Yeah, totally. Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Okay.." Elizabeth tried to regain her composure. "There's still hope then. I'll come back later this week to check up on things. See you later."

"Later," Melody responded. When Elizabeth left she cleaned up the backyard. It wasn't until she slowly went back upstairs to her cave and lit a few candles did she finally ask herself why she had lied to her friends.


	21. Chapter 20

Loneliness, in its true essence, is a hard companion that never seems to go away except perhaps in the harsh light of love. It is even harder to escape from when one feeds it regularly with self-esteem and pride.

Erik knew this, it was something even his child self had understood ages ago. He knew that love would be rare to come across, but in the daze of loving Allegra he forgot just how fragile love was. It wasn't long before loneliness decided to attack his soul once more.

So he sat on Meg's roof, grateful to accept loneliness back into his life so he could at least feel something where his heart used to beat.

It didn't seem fair. Nothing appeared fair anymore. His whole life was spent in torment from the truth that no one in the world would ever care about him. Those that happened to be miracles left his life too soon to change it. Even his friends would die eventually, and he would never be able to see them again.

He could still picture her clearly though. The way her red hair reflected the sunlight, or her green eyes glint when she laughed. Erik closed his eyes and daydreamed about her telling him how beautiful a tree, just an infuriating tree, looked in her eyes. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, tell her how much of an idiot she was, and really mean every word. Allegra's childishness was a curse, but it wasn't a lethal one until his own bold perspective of life influenced her timid spirit to try to force such visions into reality.

In his dream he told her this, but before she could reply the slam of the back door startled him out of his daydream.

"Erik!" Melody called, walking out into the middle of the yard. He was invisible thankfully, already feeling so weak from the past seven days. "Erik, come on. I know it has been a week, but dude, you still have friends."

Yes, friends that would die like her, Erik thought.

She mumbled a few curse words. "Let me guess, you probably want to fade now. Fine. Forget about Elizabeth, forget me and Meg, forget about Christine. I don't care! My best friend says that if you're trying to get into someone's life but they don't care enough to notice then don't waste your time on them. I have a graveyard meeting to attend anyway." Melody went over to the gate then looked back with a worried look on her face, probably hoping that he wasn't gone yet and she had just spoken to air. Worry turned to determination as she left, leaving him alone again.

Erik hadn't quite thought about fading before. It seemed like a good solution to his problems. He wasn't sure where he would end up, but he honestly didn't care. All of his friends reminded him of her, Paris reminded him of his past, the whole world was just a huge reminder of his suffering.

It was time to say goodbye.

He concentrated on the thought of leaving this form, freeing himself of his chains. Once he committed himself to this thought the process would be irreversible. Without a moment's hesitation he did just that, and watched as his fingers disappeared. He could still feel them, wherever they were now, but he would now be in a different state. The process creeped up his arms slowly, and instead of watching he decided to watch the sunset one last time.

The shadows it cast were prettier than the pinks and purples clouding the sky in his opinion. Only, there was a blot of black that was moving irregularly, and wasn't there moments before.

Erik took in a sharp breath of air, out of instinct, when he noticed the red hair. It seemed duller, most phantoms did lose their appearence of liveliness, but it was unmistakingly Allegra's.

Watching, she fully materialized a minute later dressed in a floor length black dress with a halter top, her back towards him. Erik looked down at himself and realized that he could only see his stomach up, and that the process was quickening. With his last ounce of energy he screamed out her name in anguish of what would inevitably happen.

She froze for a moment before turning around, still getting used to not feeling alive anymore. When she saw him she covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes already shimmering with tears.

"Erik, what's happening?!"

"I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I chose to fade away. I thought I had lost you forever."

"Can you stop it? Come back?" Erik shook his head. "How much time do you have?"

"Oh," he looked down at nothing, "about a minute."

"There's so much I want to say!"

"Look, I only have a minute so let me go first. It's too late for me, but don't you dare fade away too. This is your second shot. Stay somewhat alive and take care of everyone for me.. Also, I love you, but super great timing."

Allegra shook her head, paused, then looked up at him. "Promise me we'll meet in the next life someday, okay? This isn't goodbye."

Still naive, but if it makes her happy to have a sense of forever then he would play along as well. "See you later, Idiot." Erik smirked, not knowing if his mouth was still visible or not.

"See you later, Phantom." Allegra waved, trying her best to smile genuinely at him.

That would be her last gift to him. A smile of love, of worry, of kindness, of sorrow, and of compassion. He couldn't ask for anything more as the world faded with him.

* * *

Allegra fell to her knees and screamed at the ground, at everything.

When she was little she used to want to be Juliet, and have her own Romeo. Death seemed okay so long as you found your true love before you died. Now she knew how stupid that had been, and how much it hurt to be Juliet moments after Romeo's death. Allegra wasn't even sure if she should be thankful that they were able to speak to one another before being separated forever. If anything it made the feeling of her heart being wrenched away that much painful.

Overwhelmed with emotion and weeping, she fell to the ground. The back yard's gate opened and Elizabeth flew over to Allegra.

"Oh my God, oh my God. What happened?" She tried to pick Allegra up but her hands passed through her. Allegra still didn't know how all of her powers worked yet. Her only teacher was dead. The thought renewed her sadness and she hugged herself into a tight ball, wanting to disappear.

"Calm down, Allegra, I'm calling Mel. She'll know what to do."

Allegra eventually stopped crying and simply lay there, numb, on the ground. When Mel returned from wherever she didn't bother to even sit up.

"Allegra, come on, you need to tell me what happened."

She thought about remaining silent, but it would only hurt her friends more. "I came back and Erik was fading. He's gone now," she whispered faintly.

Melody sat down next to her, clouded in thought. "Let me guess, you want to leave too?"

Allegra nodded, carefully watching the reaction of her two friends. Elizabeth seemed to be shocked, but Mel just looked like she was expecting her response. "I know," Melody said. "I've lost people too. Whatever you decide, we're here for you."

"Would you guys be okay if I left?"

Elizabeth spoke up, "Well obviously we would be sad, but it's your decision. We won't be depressed forever or want to follow in your footsteps. I've got a lot of life still in me you know."

Allegra closed her eyes, thinking about what to do. She knew inside her heart that she should have stayed dead, that this was a mistake ever coming back. Maybe she was meant to say goodbye to Erik one last time, and then leave. "Okay.. I've decided that I want to fade. Um, how do I fade exactly?"

Melody shrugged. "I donno. This is uncharted stuff. Just tell yourself that you want to fade I guess. If it doesn't work I'll look some stuff up."

Allegra nodded. "Can I be alone for my last few moments?"

They both looked upset, but agreed.

"I love you Mel, and I want you to know that I always knew about Jackie, even though I never met her."

Melody closed her eyes, but not before a tear could run down her face. "I love you too, Allegra, despite how weird it sounds."

Allegra smiled. "Take care of each other. Elizabeth, I expect you to not go insane and kill people, okay?"

"Okay," Elizabeth bitterly chuckled.

They walked inside Meg's house together as the sky grew darker.

"I want to leave, I want to leave," Allegra whispered over and over, saying nothing but the truth. Before long she noticed that she couldn't see her hands anymore, then her arms, and then her whole body. It was strange, but it also ameliorated her situation knowing that she could possibly see Erik again. Or so she hoped.

Instead of happiness, or love, or music, this time, with more time to think, her last thought was of hope. The most beautiful, timeless idea of all.


	22. Epilogue

The sun woke her up, peering through Allegra's eyelids. Before she opened her eyes she stretched out her arms to understand what she was lying on. Grass, warm grass that felt like velvet underneath her hands. She decided it was okay to open her eyes and immediately sat up in awe of what surrounded her.

A small circle of lush grass was separated from the start of a dense forest, and in the middle was a small stone cottage that she always dreamed of owning. Wildflowers graced the land with their sight, and she heard she sound of a river not far away. Looking down, she noticed that she was wearing a simple white sundress and sandals.

Everything seemed perfect and beautiful, except the hole in the center of her heart.

Allegra had to hope for the best though, and pictured Erik sitting in a dark corner reading old literature as he waited for her to arrive. Her heart warmed at this thought, and she stood up, running over to the cottage. When she tested the door it wasn't locked so she decided to go inside.

The cottage had a master bedroom to the right, a large living room with a fireplace further down the main hall, adjacent to a kitchen, and a mini library to the left. It was all furnished and breath-taking, a vision from her fantasies. The only flaw she could pick out was that Erik wasn't in any of the rooms.

Allegra stepped outside, already feeling the loneliness close in on her. It made her want to give up and cry, but she resisted the temptation by focusing on the urge to explore this world.

Traveling down to the river, more like a wide stream, she noticed a flash of white between the trees on the other side. She took off her sandals and waded through the water towards it. Once on the other side she could tell it was a white hammock simply reflecting light and swaying in the wind.

"Huh, they really do think of everything," she mumbled to herself. Stepping closer, she noticed that someone was actually in the hammock already, fast asleep. "Erik?" she whispered, tears beginning to fall down her face.

It looked like him, sort of. Instead of half his face being distorted, it looked just as ordinary as the other side of his face, handsome actually. Where clumps of hair barely covered his head, healthy black hair grew. In her heart she knew it was Erik, but she was so used to how he used to look. Allegra was concerned about how the change might change him or their relationship, but she was overwhelmingly glad to see him.

She kneeled down beside the hammock, quietly crying from disbelief and joy while holding his hand.

He slowly woke up and turned his head toward Allegra. Erik was frozen for a moment before smiling, genuinely smiling, at her. "But I thought I told you to stay."

"How could I?" Allegra smiled back, trying to wipe away her tears.

Erik got out of the hammock and helped her stand up. "Idiot," he spoke softly. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I almost lost you. I went to the cottage and I didn't find you there so I assumed that you weren't here and I was so-" Erik cut Allegra off with a quick, soft kiss. It wasn't like she imagined it would be like to kiss someone you loved so much, it was better.

Erik took both of her hands in his. "I'm here. We're here. No one is ever going to hurt us again, I promise."

".. I know you've been hurt a lot in the past, even by my own mother, but I hope it's okay because now I know that no one could possibly love you and much as I do and I'm just so glad that we're together.. Sorry if that sounded too cliche."

"Eh, it was just the right amount of cliche in my mind," he smirked at Allegra. "Hey, did you see the fireplace in our living room?"

"Yup, the black granite looked beautiful around it."

"Do you want to, uh, make S'mores by some chance? .. I've never eaten one before.."

"Never?!" Allegra shook her head. "Well, you're lucky that you have me, the ultimate S'mores master."

As they started to walk back Erik held Allegra's hand, a casual gesture that held a lot meaning between them. It meant that everything would be okay, they were an invincible team now, and that they shared a love words could only touch upon when describing.

"Yeah, I am lucky."

* * *

(Well, I decided that that was where I was going to end their story. I didn't really plan for anything else, and they deserve some happiness. I am planning to start another fanfiction based on the Mortal Instruments series. I'm not sure when I'm going to start it because I have previously mentioned that I will be very busy. Also I will probably work out the whole storyline instead of just making it up as I go along.. You guys have been fantastic, and it was fun working on this short story for about two or three months. It was my first one so I learned a lot from it (like time management and planning). I hope you read my words again, adios amigos!)


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